Italy beats Greece 1-0 in Crete to secure second friendly win in 2023

Francesco Esposito celebratesČTK / imago sportfotodienst /

Italy secured a 1-0 victory over Greece in a friendly match held on June 17 in Crete, marking their second consecutive win in 2023. Francesco Pio Esposito scored the decisive goal for the youthful Italian squad managed by caretaker coach Silvio Baldini.

A youthful Italy side, managed by caretaker coach Silvio Baldini, secured their second consecutive friendly victory in 2023 with a narrow 1-0 win over Greece in Crete. The only goal was scored by Francesco Pio Esposito, who finished from the edge of the area after an assist from debutant Jeff Ekhator. The goal marked Esposito’s fifth international goal in just nine appearances.

Italy’s lineup was the youngest and among the most inexperienced in over a century, featuring several players with minimal prior international experience. Despite the gamble, they maintained a promising start with notable performances, particularly from Ekhator and Esposito, keeping Greece largely subdued throughout the match.

The second half saw limited chances for either team, but a key moment arrived shortly after halftime when Luca Reggiani received a red card following a foul on Greek forward Tasos Douvikas. Reggiani, the 18-year-old defender, was dismissed just 13 minutes into his international debut, leaving Italy to play with ten men for the majority of the match.

Greece, also absent from this summer’s major tournaments, struggled to make an impact even with a numerical advantage. Attempts by Christos Tzolis and Christos Zafeiris failed to overturn the deficit, including a late shot from Zafeiris that hit the post. Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was only seriously tested in the closing stages but managed to keep a clean sheet.

This friendly loss extends Greece’s winless run to five matches ahead of Euro 2028, 14 years after their last major tournament appearance in 2004. Meanwhile, Italy concluded the summer fixtures with promise for the next generation despite falling short of FIFA World Cup qualification for the third consecutive time earlier in the year. Pietro Comuzzo was recognized as man of the match for Italy’s disciplined defensive display.