New-look Italy Beat Hungary To Top Nations League Group

Italy moved top of their UEFA Nations League group on Tuesday after a new-look team continued their unbeaten start to the campaign with a 2-1 win over Hungary. Roberto Mancini's side lead the way in League A, Group 3 thanks to first-half goals from Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Pellegrini in Cesena which put them a point ahead of second-placed Hungary. A largely impressive display was blighted by Gianluca Mancini's 61st-minute own goal which gave the match a scoreline that flattered Hungary, led by coach Mancini's former Sampdoria team-mate Marco Rossi.

The European champions, who are trying to rebuild after failing to qualify for a second straight World Cup, now travel to Wolverhampton to face bottom side England on Saturday before taking on Germany in Moenchengladbach three days later.

"It was a good performance, especially in the first half. Their goal made us a little bit fearful but it was a match which we should have won by a bigger margin," Mancini told RAI.

"This is a team full of young players who need to work a lot, we've got a long way to go."

Mancini selected a host of players who played little or no role in Italy's triumph at Euro 2020, the glow of which has dimmed after they were dumped out of this year's World Cup in Qatar by North Macedonia in March.

Before Tuesday's match Italy had won just three of the 11 fixtures played since being crowned kings of Europe at Wembley in July, one of those a meaningless win in Turkey days after their play-off defeat to North Macedonia.

The hammering Italy took at the hands of Argentina in last week's 'Finalissima' in London seemed to confirm a deep crisis.

But a youthful XI showed signs of life in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Germany and they took that momentum to Cesena,