Ruthless Italy crush Czech Republic 4-0 in pre-Euro 2020 friendly, Spain and Portugal playout goalless draw

Italy swept aside the Czech Republic 4-0 on Friday with a ruthless attacking display and all-around performance that could make them a dangerous side when Euro 2020 kicks off next week.

Lazio forward Ciro Immobile put the hosts ahead in the 23rd minute against the run of play when he latched onto a weak clearance and swept the ball into the net after it took a slight deflection off a Czech defender.

“It is still early to say where we can go, but we know what we are capable of,” said Napoli midfielder Lorenzo Insigne, who scored and had an assist to mark his 30th birthday.

“The coach has created a great group, he has given us the conditions to be able to express ourselves at our best.”

Euro 2020 will mark Italy’s return to a major tournament following a five-year gap. After reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Italy face Turkey in the opening game of the tournament at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on June 11 before hosting Switzerland and Wales in the Italian capital to complete their Group A fixtures.

SPAIN AND PORTUGAL IN STALEMATE

Spain and Portugal played out an entertaining 0-0 draw on Friday as both sides prepared for this month’s European Championship.

In the first international game with fans in attendance in Spain since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 15,000-strong crowd present thought Spain had fallen behind when Jose Fonte’s looping header beat Unai Simon after 23 minutes. However, it was ruled out for a foul on Pau Torres.

A nervy Simon then saw a clearance charged down by Cristiano Ronaldo. But the ball ricocheted straight back to the Athletic Bilbao stopper.

After struggling early on, the hosts were much better after the restart, with Alvaro Morata and Pablo Sarabia both missing chances.

Portugal were indebted to keeper Rui Patricio, who denied Ferran Torres from close range with two minutes remaining, before Morata hit the bar in stoppage time as Luis Enrique’s side pushed for a late winner to no avail.

“We wanted to win, but it wasn’t to be. We did some very good stuff and we’ll take that away with us,” defender Jose Luis Gaya told Spanish television.

“There’s room for improvement, but all sides have things to improve before the tournament.

“Maybe we need to get better at set pieces, which is where Portugal are really strong, but the reality is we had the best chances to win the game.”

Spain face Lithuania in their final warm-up fixture on Tuesday before the Euros kick off next Friday.

Portugal host Israel on Wednesday before they start the defence of their Euro title.