Di Natale scores twice, Italy beats Belgium 3-1 in Euro 2008 warmup
05-30-2008Antonio Di Natale scored twice in the first half and Italy beat Belgium 3-1 on Friday in the Azzurri's only preparation match before heading to the European
Championship.
Di Natale scored in the ninth and 41st minutes and Mauro Camoranesi added another in the 48th.
Substitute Wesley Sonck headed in off a corner for Belgium in the 90th.
Italy departs for its Euro 2008 training base outside Vienna on Monday.
Di Natale started on the left flank, with Camoranesi on the right surrounding Luca Toni in Italy coach Roberto Donadoni's preferred 4-3-3 formation.
Midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo set up Italy's first goal in the ninth minute, using a series of fakes before sending a pass across the area that Di Natale redirected in
with a bouncing shot.
In the 41st, surprise midfield starter Alberto Aquilani was the assist man, putting the ball at Di Natale's feet with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Di Natale improved his tally to seven goals in 18 appearances for Italy. He also scored twice in a 2-1 win over Ukraine in Euro 2008 qualifying in September.
At 33, Del Piero led Serie A with 21 goals this season, and Donadoni has indicated he would like to pair the Juventus captain with Antonio Cassano as the other
winger.
Del Piero replaced Di Natale at halftime and set up Camoranesi for an easy goal in the 48th, as Donadoni switched briefly to a 4-4-2. Cassano replaced Camoranesi
in the 60th
Belgium, which failed to qualify for Euro 2008, rarely threatened the final 10 minutes, when a steady rain began to fall at Artemio Franchi stadium.
Otherwise, the visitors were thwarted by timely defense from Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and sliding tackles from Gennaro Gattuso. Andrea Barzagli paired with
Cannavaro in central defense, and Giorgio Chiellini replaced Cannavaro at halftime while Marco Materazzi never left the bench.
Marouane Fellaini produced Belgium's first shot in the 31st, hitting the side of the net.
In front of a crowd of 12,500, Italy got off to a quick start, with Camoranesi and Christian Panucci both providing dangerous crosses from the right before Di
Natale put the Azzurri ahead.
After setting up Di Natale's goal, Pirlo nearly scored himself with a free kick that missed just wide in the 15th.
Source: [IHT]
Posted under: NEWS - TEAMS - MATCHES
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