Italy vs. Spain: Winners and Losers from International Friendly
Italy and Spain played to a 1-1 draw in a prestige international friendly on Thursday night in Udine, Italy.
The hosts were the better side for long periods and took the lead in the 67th minute through substitute Lorenzo Insigne. Spain fired back just three minutes later, as 35-year-old Aritz Aduriz scored his first international goal.
Both teams used the friendly to prepare for this summer's Euro 2016. Two-time defending champions Spain are the top seeds in Group D, while Italy face a tough prospect in Group E with Belgium, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Lorenzo Insigne
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Lorenzo Insigne might not be a locked-on selection for Italy's Euro 2016 squad, but his performance on Thursday will certainly help his chances.
Azzurri manager Antonio Conte sent Insigne into the fray in the 51st minute, when the match was still scoreless. Insigne instantly added energy to Italy's attack and netted the opening goal within 16 minutes of his introduction.
The strike came at the end of a flowing move, with debutant Federico Bernardeschi passing to Emanuele Giaccherini on the left. Giaccherini squared for Insigne, who slotted past the excellent David De Gea.
Aside from his goal, Insigne threatened frequently on the counter, often taking up dangerous positions that made life difficult on Spain's defenders. He also came close to a second goal with an audacious chip that forced De Gea into a good save.
At the club level, the Napoli man has shown a great understanding with Gonzalo Higuain, registering 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions. On this form, he is a good bet to represent Italy this summer in France.
“It was a wonderful evening with a goal," Insigne said, per Italian sports TV channel Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia). "It’s a shame about the result, but the important thing is we all had a good game and played with intensity."
Loser, Then Winner: Aritz Aduriz
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The scoreline will show that Aritz Aduriz scored his first international goal at age 35 to earn Spain a 1-1 draw in Italy. Not too shabby.
However, Aduriz almost completely failed to influence the game apart from his goal. And as replays later showed, Alvaro Morata was offside in the buildup to the strike, meaning Aduriz's goal shouldn't have counted.
So, how do we evaluate the Athletic Bilbao man? Good strikers can sometimes seem anonymous for long stretches of the game before popping up with a critical contribution. That fits the script here, except that Aduriz's goal should have been chalked off due to offside.
In the first half, Aduriz barely had a touch. In the second, he showed good instincts to finish off a rebound. Perhaps it's a case of wait and see with Aduriz.
As Spain boss Vicente del Bosque searches for alternatives to Diego Costa, he'll be heartened to see Aduriz putting his name on the scoresheet. However, the striker's performance had plenty of room for improvement.
Winner: Antonio Candreva
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Before Insigne's second-half introduction, Antonio Candreva was without a doubt Italy's top attacking option.
The winger provided width better than anyone else on the pitch, whipping in dangerous cross after dangerous cross. In addition, he forced De Gea into a good early save with a dipping shot from distance.
With tireless running, incisive crossing and all-around offensive contribution, Candreva can be a real asset for Conte at Euro 2016.
Loser: Iker Casillas
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Del Bosque included a minor surprise in Spain's starting XI with the omission of veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The Porto man has been a mainstay for La Roja over the years, serving as captain for the team's triumphs at Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012.
But all good things come to an end, and Casillas' time might be running short. Del Bosque selected David De Gea instead, and De Gea turned in a sterling display between the sticks.
The Manchester United stopper never put a foot wrong and made several key saves to keep his side in the match. In particular, he kept out Alessandro Florenzi's low drive in the 63rd minute and pushed away Insigne's cheeky chip 15 minutes later.
Without De Gea's crucial contributions, Spain surely would have lost this match. On this form, would Del Bosque really drop him for a competitive match?
Winner: Federico Bernardeschi
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As noted in a previous slide, Bernardeschi was making his debut for Italy after coming on as a 61st-minute substitute for Candreva. The Fiorentina man made an excellent impression, playing well in his 30-minute cameo and contributing to the opening goal.
After accepting a pass in midfield in the 67th minute, Bernardeschi angled toward the box before laying off for Emanuele Giaccherini. The latter hit a first-time cross to Insigne, who slotted past the helpless De Gea.
Insigne received the glory for the goal, and Giaccherini took the credit for the assist. But Bernardeschi's run and finely placed pass set up the strike.
