Immobile and Insigne show credentials

ByBen Gladwell ESPN logo

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli may have to rethink his strategy in view of Saturday's World Cup opener against England after Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne impressed in the Azzurri's final warm-up game.

- Rzouki: Goals fly in during warm-up win

Torino striker Immobile, who has agreed a move to Borussia Dortmund this summer, scored a hat trick as Italy beat Brazilian club Fluminense 5-3 with his former Pescara teammate Insigne netting two. Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano -- regarded as Prandelli's first-choice attack before Sunday night -- were unable to show a similar understanding when they came on for the last half-hour.

"It's up to the coach now," Immobile said on the Gazzetta dello Sport website. "All I can do is make his decision a difficult one."

Immobile showed a fine understanding alongside Insigne, having played with the Napoli forward under the attack-obsessed coach Zdenek Zeman for Pescara in Serie B two years ago.

"We played a full season together and we still make the same moves," Napoli forward Insigne added on Gazzetta's website. "We know each other well, but it's not only our merit but also that of the whole team and of the coach."

Prandelli's decision to start with Immobile and Insigne after a lacklustre 1-1 draw with Luxembourg in their previous warm-up match proved to be an inspirational one with the coach lavishing praise on his front two in a team largely made up of players who are not expected to start in Manaus on Saturday.

"You've always got to look for your goals, and Insigne and Immobile were a fine example of this tonight," Prandelli told RAI television. "Let's just say we've seen some interesting things with those two lads moving well up top.

"We need to have more courage in winning back possession further up the field, but we're in good shape and we've worked well. This was the last day of intense work for us. Now we're going to move onto more specific work to reach top form for our opening match. This week is going to be necessary for us to refine our condition."