Debut with goal for Prati at the Under-20 World Cup!

A memorable debut at the Under 20 World Cup for the biancazzurro Matteo Prati, who in the first match played by the Azzurrini against Brazil scored after only twelve minutes of play.

At the Estadio "Malvinas Argentinas" in Mendoza, it was the 2003-born Spallino midfielder who unlocked the result and put the Italian national team ahead with a beautiful right-footed volley from a defiladed position on an assist from Casadei that left Mycael no chance.

The Azzurrini played a great first half, dominating their greenoro opponents in terms of dribbling and determination, which saw the boys of federal coach Carmine Nunziata close the first half ahead 3-0. In the second half, the Brazilians' reaction, aided by Italy's lesser freshness, allowed Brazil's national team to shorten the gap, but the Azzurrini did not flinch and brought home a well-deserved and important 3-2 victory that launched Italy to first place in its group.

In the other match in Group D, the Dominican Republic was defeated 2-1 by Nigeria, which will be the Azzurrini's next opponent on Wednesday, May 24 at 8 p.m. Italian time, again at the stadium in the Argentine city of Mendoza.

Yesterday Prati was not the only biancazzurro protagonist with the national team jersey, in fact, the young striker Emanuele Rao also made his debut as a starter in the Under-17 European Championship underway in Hungary. 

The 2006-born forward, after coming on as a substitute in the second half of the debut match against Spain lost narrowly 2-1, was deployed in the starting lineup by federal coach Bernardo Corradi in the match against Serbia.

After a start to the match in the Azzurri's brand that saw Rao come close to scoring with a dangerous shot from distance, the match against the Serbian national team ended in a 2-0 defeat that complicates the Azzurrini's qualification. Italy, in fact, must win by at least three goals in the last match of the group against Slovenia, scheduled for Wednesday, May 24 at 5:30 p.m., also hoping that Serbia is defeated by Spain.