Vincenzo Grifo nets twice as Italy beat Albania in friendly

Updated: May 17, 2023, 04:52 am

Italy players celebrate after scoring a goal against Albania in a friendly.
Italy players celebrate after scoring a goal against Albania in a friendly.
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Freiburg winger Vincenzo Grifo scored a pair of goals for Italy in a routine 3-1 win friendly win over Albania on Wednesday night.

Numerous second-choice players were given a chance to play alongside some of Roberto Mancini's regulars with Italy having missed out on the 2022 World Cup.

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Adrian Ismajli opened the scoring for the hosts at the Air Albania Stadium before Giovanni Di Lorenzo levelled on 20 minutes. Grifo then put Italy up for good five minutes after Di Lorenzo's strike and added his second following the break to seal the win for the Azzurri.

The result will feel bittersweet for the reigning 2020 European Champions, who missed out on qualification for the upcoming World Cup after a shocking loss to North Macedonia in one of UEFA's playoffs as they attempted to book a spot in Qatar.