Italy edges Greece 1-0 in Athens friendly
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 7, 2026, 10:40 PM
Last updated Jun 7, 2026
Italy defeated Greece 1-0 in an international friendly held in Athens. Pio Esposito scored the only goal of the match in the 18th minute after a deflected shot. This match marked the second victory for Italy's youthful squad, coached on an interim basis by Silvio Baldini after the team's failure to qualify for the World Cup. Italy faced challenges during the match, including the dismissal of Luca Reggiani in the second half for a straight red card. Greece came close to scoring late in the match when Christos Zafeiris hit the post, but ultimately could not find the equalizer.
- •Italy wins 1-0 against Greece in Athens friendly
- •Esposito scores early goal in the 18th minute
- •Italy played with a mostly under-21 lineup
- •Reggiani sent off in the second half
- •Greece hits the post late in the match
- 10:40 PMYahoo Sports — Youthful Italy side squeeze past Greece in Athens friendly
"Italy beat Greece 1-0 in an international friendly in Athens as a young side made it two wins from two following the nation's latest failure to qualify for the World Cup. Elimination in the qualifying play-offs in March meant the end of Gennaro Gattuso's reign after Italy were condemned to miss out on a third consecutive finals.
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