Italy pound Lithuania 5-0
Sports Desk, Sep 8 (EFE).- Euro 2020 champions Italy trampled Lithuania 5-0 Wednesday to go 6 points clear atop Group C in European qualifiers for World Cup 2022 and extend their record unbeaten run to 37 matches.
The Azzurri have 14 points from six matches, while Switzerland are on 8 points, though they have two games in hand.
Facing winless Lithuania and after disappointing draws against Bulgaria and Switzerland, Italy coach Roberto Mancini made eight changes to his starting 11 for the contest in Reggio Emilia.
And the subs made the most of their chance, especially Moise Kean and Giacomo Raspardori, who between them accounted for four goals.
Kean intercepted a reckless back-pass to goalkeeper Ernestus Setkus to open the scoring in the 11th minute, three minutes before Lithuania’s Edgars Utkus deflected a Raspardori strike into his own net.
Raspardori pounced on a loose ball in the area and beat Setkus to make it 3-0 in the 24th minute.
The fourth goal came in the 29th, when Federico Bernardeschi’s ball over the top found Kean in the box and the 21-year-old Juventus man completed the brace.
Bernardeschi went on to assist on Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s goal in the 54th minute. EFE apa/dr
