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Italy rioted against the Greek defense in the first half to score three goals in 10 minutes and ensure an easy 3-0 win in Athens on Saturday against a deflated Greece having suffered its first loss to the playoffs of the United States. Euro 2020.
In the presence of some 25,000 spectators, including 300 Italians, the visitors had the advantage since the start of the match at the Olympic stadium. However, they were only able to threaten the Greek defense midway through the first half.
Greece's manager, Angelos Anastasiadis, has staged three central defenders and no center-forward, preferring to keep the Super League top scorer, Efthymis Koulouris, on the bench and dismiss playmaker Costas Fortounis.
The Greeks started pushing after the 20th minute and paid off immediately, as the absence of the right back allowed Andrea Belotti to make a breakthrough from the left to center the ball to Nicolo Barella who scored the goal in the 23rd minute.
Barely seven minutes later, Italy doubled their lead in a new counterattack. Lorenzo Insigne rushed into the box to give the advantage to an opposing defender, defender Costas Manolas and goalkeeper Vbadilis Barkas.
Then, on the 33rd, Belotti scored another center from the left. Leonardo Bonucci almost clinched a superb pbad at close range to lead the score to 3-0. It was three goals on three occasions for Italy.
During the second half of the year, Greece opted for the limitation of damages in order to avoid an even worse result. Salvatore Sirigu gave Fortounis a decent shot, while the Italians had at least five chances to score.
The Greeks will have to improve considerably their game to beat Armenia Tuesday on the same ground, because to lose points would be disastrous. They have four points in three games.
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