Italy concluded their United States tour with a resounding 2-0 victory against CONMEBOL powerhouse Ecuador in Harrison, New Jersey. During the post-game press conference, Luciano Spalletti acknowledged that the majority of the squad that made the transatlantic journey will feature in Euro 2024.
Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolo Barella scored on either side of halftime, propelling Italy to a comprehensive win over Ecuador, following closely on the heels of their 2-1 triumph against Venezuela just days prior. Securing back-to-back victories against South American opponents marks a strong beginning to Gli Azzurri’s preparations for the upcoming tournament.
Spalletti commended his team’s performance at the Red Bull Arena, emphasizing that a significant portion of the players called up in March will represent Italy in Germany this summer.
“When I listen to the previews of the matches where Italy is involved, it appears to be assumed that Italy will secure an easy victory, but that’s not the case. We return from this tour with the understanding that many of these players will be included in the final squad,” the former Napoli boss remarked, as cited by TMW.
Sunday’s triumph extended Italy’s undefeated streak to four matches, positioning them favorably for the remaining preparatory fixtures against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Turkey. However, Spalletti cautioned against complacency, stressing that Italy cannot take anything for granted, particularly in their quest to become the second team, alongside Spain, to successfully defend their European Championship title.