A flawless victory for the Under 15s, who defeated Spain at the Riano Athletic Centre. After a first half of fairly equal momentum from both sides that ended 0-0, the Azzurrini scored in the 46th minute, thanks to Marco Vaccarella, the Juventus midfielder. Just two minutes later, the Stuttgart defender, Domenico Lanata, sealed the victory make 2-0.

Coach Battista commented, “It’s never easy to beat Spain because they’re a very skilled side who are always capable of doing damage. In December, when we played them in England (Spain 2-1 Italy), we realised that they have certain weaknesses in both phases, so we prepared for the match by focusing on how to exploit those. Then, in the second half, the boys put on a strong performance, playing with confidence and determination. After today’s performance, I can be sure we are improving.”

The Azzurrini will be back in action once again against their Spanish counterparts on Thursday at 10:30 CET. The Azzurrini coach added, “These matches help us understand where we’re at because we’re up against a team that can do serious damage to us if we lose focus or intensity even a little. In two days, there will be more opportunities for those who didn’t play as much or at all today, because our aim is to assess the progress of all the players we’ve called up. I’m expecting another tough match, and I hope to see the same mentality we showed in the second half today from the very first minute.’