Roberto Mancini admits he was ‘surprised’ by the Netherlands tactics, but is confident Italy will top their Nations League group by beating Poland.

The Azzurri were held to their third draw in four Nations League matches, now falling behind Poland in the group.

Roberto Mancini admits he was ‘surprised’ by the Netherlands tactics, but is confident Italy will top their Nations League group by beating Poland.

The Azzurri were held to their third draw in four Nations League matches, now falling behind Poland in the group.

Lorenzo Pellegrini had opened the scoring by meeting a wonderful Nicolò Barella pass, but Donny van de Beek equalised and the Dutch 3-5-2 formation caused quite a few problems.

“It’s the first time they changed to this system and it was a surprise, but we knew it was going to be a tough game,” the coach told RAI Sport.

“Opponents are there too, they can create problems and that’s what happened this evening. We attacked and I think we created the most clear-cut opportunities, overall.

“The performance was tough, it was a good game, a real battle. Now we go head-to-head with Poland for the top spot. We’ll win the next two and then qualify.”

This was Italy’s first match in Bergamo for 14 years, arranged to pay tribute to the area hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were happy to be here, it’s disappointing we were not able to win, but we’re pleased for the Mayors of the area who were invited here today.”

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