FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template
Italy were given a nightmare send-off to the World Cup finals here on Tuesday evening when they crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat to Sweden.
Roberto Baggio was Italy’s most promising player on the field but it was his Bologna teammate Kennet Andersson who finally stole the show, nodding home the winner in the 90th minute. Italy’s midfield were to blame for a flat first-half performance; they failed to drive through the supply routes for Baggio and Fabrizio Ravanelli, who were given little real chance to cause trouble. Maldini’s side were solid at the back in the opening 45 minutes and second half substitute Francesco Moriero added more bite up front. But as the match wore on, Italy looked tired and careless in their passing, and a moment’s slack marking at the end was enough to send the finalists of USA ‘94 to France ‘98 with their tails between their legs. In a bright start, Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hedman had to be quick off his line in the second minute as Baggio controlled a long ball from Demetrio Albertini.
And it was Baggio who teed up a shot for Luigi Di Biagio a few minutes later only for the AS Roma midfielder’s rasping effort to be blocked. Sweden’s first real effort did not come until the 17th minute when Fiorentina midfielder Stefan Schwarz cracked in a 22-yard drive which flashed only narrowly wide.
But only a sliding tackle from libero Alessandro Costacurta stopped Jorgen Petterson from racing through on the break after the striker beat his marker Fabio Cannavaro and surged into the open space. And Schwarz then gave Pagliuca a fright with a free-kick driven hard and low to the Inter Milan goalkeeper’ left.
The game was still evenly balanced but Italy’s lack of drive in midfield-where they lacked the punch of injured Dino Baggio-meant Roberto Baggio and Ravanelli were left isolated up front. Italy’s best move came in the 33rd minute, when Roberto Di Matteo found Baggio and the Bologna striker split the entire Swedish defence with a through ball for Ravanelli, who lashed his angled shot wide. Baggio even had the ball in the back of the net just before the break, volleying home a superb curling cross from Di Biagio-only for nearby Ravanelli to be caught a yard offside.
Paolo Maldini failed to get any power behind his close range effort a minute later after a one-two with Baggio, Italy’s best player on the pitch.
Italy showed a bit more initiative after the re-start but it was Sweden who very nearly opened the scoring.
Andersson won possession on the right, and Celtic’s Henrik Larsson met his centre with a snap volley which Pagliuca blocked but couldn’t hold, leaving Costacurta to hoof the ball away.
However, Italy should really have taken the lead in the 66th minute. Ravanelli broke through on the right and rounded Hedman but allowed the Swedish keeper to get a hand to the Marseille striker’s shot-enough to send the ball against the post and away.
The narrow squeak did not put the Swedes off their stride and only a desperate clearance on the line by Pagliuca a minute later stopped Italy from going a goal down.
Costacurta made way for his 34-year-old understudy Giuseppe Bergomi, giving the Inter libero and 1982 World Cup winner his 78th cap. Di Biagio had Italy’s last chance in the 88th minute, dummying two men on the edge of the Swedish area but then tamely sending his shot straight into the waiting arms of Hedman.
But just as Italy had resigned themselves to a draw, Newcastle United’s Andreas Andersson, who had just come on as a late sub, floated over a fine cross for Kennet Andersson to head home unchallenged from a dozen yards.
It may only have been a friendly, but the performance left coach Cesare Maldini with more questions than answers with just nine days before his men open their campaign against Chile in Bordeaux on June 11.