Antonio Conte looked on the bright
side after Italy's 1-0 loss to Portugal in a friendly in Geneva,
saying his first defeat since taking over the national team a
year ago may be healthy.
Italy started brightly, but paid for some sloppy passing,
especially at the back, and the failure to put away several good
chances to score.
Eder finished off a fast move with a cool finish on 52
minutes to give Portugal, who were without rested Real Madrid
star Cristiano Ronaldo, their first victory over the Azzurri
since 1976.
The performance was a step back on the encouraging display
the Azzurri served up in Friday's 1-1 draw with Croatia in Split
in a Euro 2016 qualifier.
Conte's men were a little unlucky not to win that game
against the Group H leaders which, nevertheless, consolidated
their hold on second place and moved them closer to qualifying
for next year's finals.
They did not show the same intensity and frequently looked
disorganised compared to a tidy Portugal side on Tuesday.
As a result of the defeat Italy also lost their chance to
be seeds in the draw for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, which
means whey risk being put in the same group as another European
big gun.
But Conte, who fielded a semi-experimental team and gave
23-year-old Sassuolo forward Nicola Sansone his international
debut as a substitute, saw it as good experience.
"It's a healthy defeat that is part of a path of sporting
formation, especially for the players who are entering the
international scene and need to learn how to play in Europe,"
said Conte.
"This defeat enables us to see what we have to work on,"
added the former Juve coach, who ended his first 12 months on
the Azzurri bench with a record of five wins, four draws and one
loss.
"We have to be more cynical in front of goal".
Conte's contract runs until Euro 2016 but Italian Soccer
Federation (FIGC) President Carlo Tavecchio said Tuesday that he
would "not be surprised" to see him still in charge of Italy at
the 2018 World Cup.
"Now I'm just thinking about completing the Euro 2016
qualification," said Conte when asked about a possible contract
extension.
"The two matches in September (at home against Malta and
Bulgaria) will be very important. It's crucial to win them".
Croatia are top of Euro 2016 qualifying Group H with 14
points from six games, two more than Italy, while Norway are
third on 10 points.
The top two teams in each group are guaranteed a place at
next year's finals in France.
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