Beretta brilliance takes Italy past Ukraine

AC Milan youngster Giacomo Beretta scored with a bicycle kick to give Italy a 1-0 win against Ukraine in their opening UEFA European Under-19 Championship elite round Group 4 game in Szczecinek, Poland.

Beretta, who was handed his Serie A debut at the start of the month, made his mark after 67 minutes, returning the ball with interest after a Ukrainian clearance fell short. Olexander Golovko's side had made a bright start at the OSIR Szczecinek Stadium, but Francesco Bardi denied both Borys Tashchy and Pylyp Budkivskiy in one-on-one situations in the first ten minutes, and it was Maxym Koval who was to be the busier of the two goalkeepers therafter.

Captain Oleksandr Noyok had already hooked a Cristiano Biraghi effort off the line before the FC Dynamo Kyiv custodian was called on to deny Stephan El Shaarawy, first when through on goal and again from a fine 20-metre shot just before the break. Paolo Rozzio blocked a close-range Tashchy shot just after the restart and following Berretta's strike, Budkivskiy passed up a decent chance to equalise when he headed Vladislav Kalitvintsev's cross wide. Having denied substitute Pietro Iemmello at the other end, Koval came up for a late corner as Ukraine fought for an equaliser, but his header was just off target.