Antonio Conte's Italy Run Same Risks as His Juventus Side with 3-5-2 Formation

Antonio Conte has started his tenure as Italy manager with two victories in impressive fashion, seeing off the Dutch in a friendly before claiming victory over Norway in their first Euro 2016 qualifier.

The squad for the 2-0 win in Oslo boasted seven players who weren't present at the FIFA World Cup 2014, signalling Conte's willingness to flex his options, and many of the fresh faces impressed.

The feeling in the Azzurri camp right now is resoundingly positive, with even Andrea Pirlo pledging another year or two to the international scene, per the Mirror, after categorically stating he would retire in his autobiography last year.

The common denominator is Conte; his impact, even in the short term, has been sizable to say the least. Even Andrea Ranocchia looked confident, with minimal shaky moments, on Tuesday evening as Italy's back line left Gianluigi Buffon kicking his heels in goal, bored.

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"We've accomplished amazing things in only nine days. We need to improve, we need to get to know each other more, but overall I’m very happy," the new boss told reporters post-match (h/t VivoAzzurro.it).

"I don’t remember Buffon having to make a save. On the other hand, we created a lot of chances. I’m happy because my players showed that they’re willing to embrace my style of play."

His comments regarding the style were spot-on, and it helped that three Juventus (or former Juventus) players—Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci and Emanuele Giaccherini—were there to steer the ship in Juventino-esque fashion.

The movement, the ball circulation and the launching of attacks were the same. Bonucci's tendencies in the centre of defence were near-identical, and the goals were scored in a very familiar fashion.

This is a major positive for Conte, as stated, but it has to be viewed with a slight air of concern, too. Juventus, while dominant in Serie A in securing three straight Scudettos, fell flat on their faces in the UEFA Champions League year after year under his stewardship.

The 3-5-2 formation the Italians cultivated didn't stack up, and while Bayern Munich's demolition of Barcelona later on left Juve's aggregate 4-0 loss to the same side look rather decent in hindsight, it's telling that Conte tried to convert to a 4-3-3 to take on Real Madrid away from home the following season.

The Old Lady dominated familiar territory, but failed to tussle with the biggest and the baddest. Accusations that systemic shortcomings lie at fault are, in truth, well founded, and as impressive as Conte's been so far, and will continue to be, he's using the same 3-5-2 at international level.

Cesare Prandelli, his predecessor, found success with a similar system but his true strength was his ability to adapt formations. Conte never showed this in Turin, and it raises the question: Can the Azzurri take the next step in this shape?

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The pressure's on given two consecutive World Cup group-stage eliminations, and the kudos Prandelli earned for reaching the final of Euro 2012 evaporated fairly quickly after the debacle in Brazil.

We're by no means tipping Conte to flop or Italy to fail, but this is a critical time for Italian football. The national side must rebound, and a strong international setup can be an effective way of masking the declining quality in Serie A.

If you dig a little deeper than Simone Zaza's glorious debut and Pirlo's return, there's an even more fascinating storyline to watch over the next two years.