Antonio Candreva produces a goal and assist as Italy win at home against Finland. Alfred Finnbogason also collects a goal and assist as Iceland put four past Liechtenstein, whilst a rare rest for Robert Lewandowski sees Poland fail to find a way past Lithuania.
Italy 2 Finland 0
Antonio Candreva bagged a goal and assist as Italy secured a second successive win with a 2-0 home triumph over Finland.
After opening the scoring from the spot in the first half, the Lazio midfieler – who was stationed as a right wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation – teed up substitute Daniel de Rossi for Italy’s second. Priced at 7.5 in the Uefa game, Candreva produced three attempts on goal and as many key passes and is owned by just 1% of Fantasy managers so far.
Antonio Conte made six alterations from the side that beat Scotland 1-0 last week.
Aside from Candreva and the back three of Leonardo Bonucci, Andreas Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini, Sunderland’s Emmanuel Giaccherini was the only other player to retain his place. Priced at 5.0 and listed as a defender in the Uefa game, he’s now started each of the last four in midfield and shared corner kick duties with Candreva last night. Last night’s result heightens the appeal of the Italy defence, with Conte’s men arriving in France on the back of successive shut-outs.
Up front, Simone Zaza and Ciro Immobile failed to grasp their opportunities. The duo produced eight and three attempts respectively but their inability to find the net looks likely to allow Graziano Pelle and Eder the chance to lead the line in the group opener with Belgium.
Italy XI: Sirigu; Barzagli, Bonucci (Ogbonna 85), Chiellini; Candreva (Bernardeschi 76), Parolo, Motta (De Rossi 63), Giaccherini (Sturaro 64), El Shaarawy (Florenzi 69); Zaza (Pelle 81), Immobile
Poland 0 Lithuania 0
Robert Lewandowski was handed the night off as Poland failed to score for the first time in ten matches after stuttering to a goalless draw against visitors Lithuania.
Despite the absence of their top scorer, the home side still boasted a significant threat and fired 18 attempts on goal, though managed just a single shot on target.
Arkadiusz Milik (7.5 in Uefa) looked the most dangeorus for Adam Nawalka’s side. Typically utilised in the central support role, he was shifted up front as a result of Lewandowski’s omission and registered five efforts on goal. Wide men Jakub Blaszczykowski and Kamil Grosicki failed to impress and managed just one shot apiece.
At the back, Kamil Glik has now started each of the last six matches and, at 5.0, offers a reliable route into a defence that’s now chalked up three clean sheets in four. The 4.5-priced Jakub Wawrzyniak returned to the XI last night and has started two of the three matches since first-choice left-back Maciej Rybus was ruled out through injury.
Poland XI: Fabianski (Boruc 46); Kapustka, Glik (Salamon 46), Cionke, Wawrzyniak; Maczynski (Jodlowiec 46), Krychowiak; Blaszczykowski (Jedrzejczyk 74), Starzynski, Grosicki (Peszko 77); Milik
Iceland 4 Liechtenstein 0
It’s two wins in three now for Iceland after they bounced back from last week’s 3-2 loss in Norway with an emphatic 4-0 victory at home to Liechtenstein.
Alfred Finnbogason teed up striker partner Kolbeinn Sigthorsson for the opening goal before scoring his side’s third just before the break. Whilst the latter (7.0) looks a little more secure for minutes, Finnbogason – at just 5.5 – could be one to monitor for those in need of a budget striker. Veteran Eidar Gudjohnsen (6.0) emerged from the bench to notch but is likely to be mainly utilised as a sub during the tournament.
A first clean sheet in six attempts coincided with the return of Hannes Halldorsson between the posts. First-choice keeper during qualifying, he has recovered from injury and ended Ogmundur Kristinsson’s run of six straight starts over the friendlies – frustratingly, Halldorsson is the more expensive of the pair at 5.0 to 4.5. Elshewhere in defence, though, Sverrir Ingi Ingason is also priced at 4.5 and has started the last three at centre-half, scoring in each of the previous two matches. Right-back Birkir Saevarsson (5.0) was also in the goals, netting for the first time in 57 international appearances.
Iceland XI: Halldorsson; Saevarsson, Ingason, R Sigurdsson (Hermannsson 54), Skulason (Magnusson 87); Gudmundsson (Bjarnason 46), Gunnarsson, G Sigurdsson, Traustason (Hallfredsson 69); Sigthorsson (Sigurjonsson 79) Finnbogason (Gudjohnsen 46).
