Argentina 2-0 Italy - 5 Talking Points

#2 Italy's starting lineup gives their fans hope

Italy played their first game since failing to qualify for the World Cup

In Italy's first game since the debacle against Sweden, their starting XI looked more like the team that should have started in Milan on that fateful day.

Lorenzo Insigne started on the left wing, and Di Biagio finally made the switch away from the three-man central defense that had gone slightly stale, after serving Italy so well in the preceding years.

There were also encouraging performances for Verratti and Jorginho in midfield. This Italian side is nowhere near a finished article yet, as several moments in that game showed.

Even the better performers like Insigne and Verratti had forgettable moments, but Di Biagio has given himself a base to rebuild this Italian side from.

A 4-3-3 suits the personnel that Italy have a little more than the 3-5-2 that had become synonymous with the Azzurri.

So it can only be a little glimmer of hope that Di Biagio has allowed his personnel to dictate the system he employs.