International friendly line-ups: Ecuador vs. Italy

25 Mar 2024
Italy vs Ecuador

Giacomo Raspadori leads the attack, with Guglielmo Vicario and Raoul Bellanova getting their senior Italy debuts against Ecuador.

It kicks off at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey at 20.00 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.

This is the second American friendly test for the Azzurri after Thursday’s 2-1 win over Venezuela, earned thanks to a Mateo Retegui brace and Gianluigi Donnarumma parrying a penalty.

Luciano Spalletti makes 11 changes to the starting XI, including debuts for Tottenham goalkeeper Vicario and Torino winger Bellanova, but the 3-4-2-1 experiment continues.

This time, with Lorenzo Lucca injured, it’s Raspadori who leads the way with support from Nicolò Zaniolo and Lorenzo Pellegrini.

There are four Inter players starting, with Arsenal midfielder Jorginho returning.

Ecuador have only ever played Italy twice before, losing 2-0 in the 2002 World Cup and drawing 1-1 in a 2005 friendly.

The team includes Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo, Pervis Estupinan of Brighton and Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapié.

They lost only one of their six World Cup qualifiers, 1-0 to Argentina in September, beating Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile, while drawing with Colombia and Venezuela.

That puts them currently in fifth place, ahead of Brazil and Paraguay.

Ecuador: Burrai; Torres, Pacho, Hincapie; Preciado, Franco, Caicedo, Estupinan; Plata, Minda, Sarmiento

Italy: Vicario; Darmian, Mancini, Bastoni; Bellanova, Jorginho, Barella, Dimarco; Zaniolo, Pellegrini; Raspadori

Ref: Freeman (USA)

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