Football

Italy and Greece Meet in Friendly Ahead of Nations League

Donnarumma in goal, Esposito up front, and a reshuffled Italian back line

The match is scheduled to kick off at 21:00 CET on Tuesday, June 11, at the Pankritio Stadium in Heraklion, Greece, offering both teams a final chance to fine‑tune ahead of the upcoming Nations League fixtures.

Silvio Baldini, who has been appointed as Italy’s interim coach after a brief stint, will oversee only two games in his temporary role, and he has made two adjustments to the side that edged Luxembourg 1‑0 in their last encounter.

Baldini's Short‑Term Challenge

Among the changes, Honest Ahanor steps in at right‑back to replace Costantino Favasuli, while Jeff Ekhator comes in on the right wing in place of Luigi Cherubini; the remainder of the starting XI remains identical to the Luxembourg match.

In goal, Gianluigi Donnarumma will don the Italy shirt, while the attacking duties will be led by forward Francesco Pio Esposito, who looks to build on the positive momentum from the recent victory.

Greece, for its part, will field Vlachodimos between the posts and Douvikas as the spearhead of their attack, setting up a contest that promises tactical intrigue.

The friendly serves as a valuable rehearsal for both squads, with Italy aiming to cement defensive cohesion and Greece seeking to test new attacking combinations before the competitive stage.

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