Francesco Pio Esposito scored the only goal as Italy beat Luxembourg 1-0 in an international friendly on Wednesday, giving interim coach Silvio Baldini a victory with one of the youngest Azzurri line-ups in more than a century.
Italy arrived with a heavily rotated squad following their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Captain Gianluigi Donnarumma and Esposito stood among the few established names as Baldini handed opportunities to several younger players.
Esposito looked Italy’s main attacking threat from the opening whistle. The 20-year-old forward sent an improvised flick just wide before he nearly scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick. He also created an opportunity for Niccolo Pisilli, whose effort found the side-netting.
Italy eventually broke through four minutes after the restart. Pisilli delivered an outswinging corner and Esposito powered a header beyond Luxembourg goalkeeper Anthony Morris for the decisive goal.
The visitors continued to push. Pisilli struck the woodwork from a cross by Luca Koleosho, while substitute Seydou Fini fired over late in the match.
Luxembourg struggled to trouble Italy’s defence despite attempting nine shots. Their opportunities generated only 0.41 expected goals, and they failed to create a clear opening.
The result offered a positive response after Italy’s World Cup play-off defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team, which extended the Azzurri’s absence from the tournament to a third consecutive edition.
Esposito continues to strengthen his case for a larger role in Italy’s future plans. The striker now has four goals in his first eight international appearances. Only Giuseppe Meazza and Gianni Rivera scored more goals for Italy before turning 21.
Italy’s starting XI averaged 21 years and 354 days old, the country’s youngest line-up since December 1912. While many players may not feature in September’s Nations League squad, Baldini gained valuable evidence about the next generation during a difficult rebuilding period.
