Italy and Netherlands each began life under new management this evening as they prepared for their Euro 2016 qualifying campaigns with a friendly in Bari.
Guus Hiddink's second coming as Dutch boss got off to the worst possible start when Ciro Immobile scored his first international goal for the hosts on three minutes.
Immobile's strike partner Simone Zaza earned the Azzurri a penalty six minutes later, with Bruno Martins Indi sent off before Daniele De Rossi converted from 12 yards.
The scores would finish 2-0, with Holland threatening a reply only during a brief second-half rally, so Antonio Conte will take a winning start with him to Norway for his competitive bow on Tuesday.
You can read how the action unfolded below, courtesy of SM's live coverage.
Evening, all! Two of European football's international powerhouses begin new eras tonight as Antonio Conte and Guus Hiddink each take charge of their country in the aftermath of the World Cup...
Conte has replaced Cesare Prandelli as Italy boss after leaving Juventus, while Hiddink has returned for a second spell at the Holland helm after Louis van Gaal took over Manchester United.
Kickoff is just under 25 minutes away and team news from Bari will be with you shortly, with each manager immediately stamping their own authority on their respective team.
ITALY XI: Sirigu; Ranocchia, Bonucci, Astori; Darmian, Marchisio, De Rossi, Giaccherini, De Sciglio; Immobile, Zaza
SUBS: Buffon, Padelli, Perin, Ogbonna, Candreva, Florenzi, Maggio, Parolo, Pasqual, Verratti, Destro, Giovinco, Quagliarella, Poli, Chiellini, El Shaarawy
NETHERLANDS XI: Cillessen; Janmaat, De Vrij, Martins Indi, Blind; Wijnaldum, De Jong, Sneijder; Kuyt, Van Persie, Lens
SUBS: Van Der Wiel, Van Dijk, Veltman, Pieters, Verhaegh, Narsingh, Afellay, Fer, Klassen, Depay, Krul, Zoet
Hiddink drops the 3-5-2 formation that Van Gaal employed on Holland's route to the last four in Brazil and restores the more traditional Dutch system of 4-3-3. Arjen Robben is not fit to feature as part of the front trio, but United striker Robin van Persie is, despite fears over his knee.
Van Persie's new club teammate Daley Blind is expected to play in central midfield at Old Trafford, but Hiddink employs the versatile 24-year-old at left-back this evening. Newcastle United's Daryl Janmaat is on the opposite side of defence, while Wesley Sneidjer starts in midfield.
Italy are without new Liverpool forward Mario Balotelli, who is serving an international suspension. Borussia Dortmund striker Ciro Immobile leads their attack alongside debutant Sassuolo striker Zaza.
Emmanuele Giaccherini is not a regular fixture in the Sunderland team, but is in favour with Conte tonight and will play in the hole as Italy opt for the 3-5-2 system shafted by their opponents.
Andrea Ranocchia, Davide Astori and Leonardo Bonucci make up the back three and will play in front of PSG keeper Salvatore Sirigu, with long-serving number one Gianluigi Buffon on the bench.
Both teams face away trips in their opening 2016 European Championship qualifier on Tuesday. Italy go to Norway, while Holland play Czech Republic in Prague, so a few players may be rested tonight...
There is just five minutes until kickoff at the Stadio San Nicola...
ONE TO WATCH: United supporters will be keeping an eye on Blind. The Dutchman has been described as being very composed on the ball, with a good passing range and bite in the tackle.
PREDICTION: With both sides under new management and this match likely to be marred by second-half substitutions, I am not expecting a classic that would be appropriate considering the stature of the two nations. Home advantage may prove crucial to Italy in 1-0 victory.
The action is underway, with the Dutch in their famous orange shirts...
GOAL! ITALY 1-0 NETHERLANDS (CIRO IMMOBILE)
Italy take just three minutes to score under Antonio Conte and it is Ciro Immobile with his first international goal. The striker runs on to a long ball forward, cleverly knocks the ball around Jasper Cillessen and rolls it into the net from 10 yards. Awful defending from the Dutch, with Stefan De Vrij and Bruno Martins Indi split apart with a simple long punt, and Cillessen in no man's land.
Italy go direct again to release Matteo Darmian down the right wing. He has plenty of space to run into and delivers a cross towards Zaza which De Vrij stretches to intercept at the near post.
SHOT! The Dutch register their first effort on goal. Sneijder collects the ball 20 yards out, opens up his body but bends a shot over the crossbar. It has been a very open start to the game.
PENALTY - RED CARD! A bad starts gets even worse for the Dutch as Martins Indi is sent off for a foul on Zaza which also leads to an Italy penalty. The Azzurri debutant shows pace and strength to race onto a through ball and get goal side of the defender, who drags his man down inside the area. Granted it is only a friendly, but there was only one option for the referee there, so blatant it was.
GOAL! ITALY 2-0 NETHERLANDS (DANIELE DE ROSSI)
Captain De Rossi steps to find the bottom corner, sending Cillessen the wrong way. It is the Roma stalwart's 16th international goal, and Italy are two goals and a man up inside 10 minutes.
SUBSTITUTION: Hiddink is forced into a change following Martins Indi's dismissal. Ajax defender Joel Veltman replaces the unfortunate Jeremain Lens, who may not even have had a touch.
De Rossi provided the pass from which Zaza caused chaos for the second Italy goal and is pulling the strings again from the Italy midfield. Two lovely cross-field passes perfectly pick out De Sciglio galloping forward from left wing-back, but two crosses are blocked by the first man.
Holland briefly get something going when Van Persie and Wijnaldum exchange passes midway into the Italy half, but Ranocchia pokes the ball free and Italy collect. Could be a frustrating night from hereon in for the Netherlands forwards.
CHANCE! Italy could and should have made it three! The Dutch were keeping the ball nicely before Immobile pounced on one slack pass and charged up the pitch at real pace. Zaza goes with him, and his strike partner unselfishly squares to him, behind the lone standing Dutch defender, only for Cillessen to come off his line, stay big, and block a shot destined for the bottom corner. Good save.
If there is one man in the Dutch lineup that won't take kindly to this early deficit, it is Nigel de Jong. The tough-tackling midfielder takes some of his frustration out on Darmian with a late tackle.
A ball over the top of the back four causes Holland problems again, but De Vrij scampers back to steal the ball from Zaza just before the speedy forward can get away and clear on goal again.
Slightly injury concern for Italy as Astori, of Serie A runners-up Roma, takes a glancing knee to the face from his own teammate Bonucci when both challenging for an aerial ball. Communication lads!
CLOSE! Beautiful move from the Italians, with De Sciglio cutting in from the left to knock the ball centrally to Zaza, who delightfully chests the ball into the path of Immobile. The Dortmund striker had peeled off Veltman, only to strike his volley five yards or so high of goal.
Persistent work from Marchisio on the right sees him rob Blind and start another attack, which comes to an abrupt end when De Jong clatters Giaccherini off the ball, fairly according to the officials.
Italy play a little keep ball around the halfway line before injecting their possession with pace and quickly switching the play - that has been a highlight of their success so far this evening. De Sciglio drifts in from the left and shoots straight into the arms of Cillessen from an unlikely angle.
The hosts threaten to get in behind again when Zaza dummies for Immobile, who releases his strike partner with a clever pass round the corner. The Sassuolo man tries to go round the outside of Veltman, but the Dutch substitute stands firm and muscles Zaza off the ball before clearing.
The Azzurri are knocking on the door for that third goal before the break as Darmian skilfully controls a Marchiso pass and beats Blind on the right. His fizzing low cross is bound for Immobile before Cillessen gets down to intercept and, importantly, gather the ball with blue shirts looming.
Kuyt is released by Sneijder on the right and prepares to square up Astori, but De Sciglio makes a 40-yard dash backwards to tackle the former Liverpool man.The Italians continue to impress.
Zaza and Immobile once again combine superbly and to the cost of a static Dutch defence, but Immobile bends an Henry-esque shot around the far post, and is relieved to see the flag raised.
HALF-TIME: ITALY 2-0 NETHERLANDS
What a first half from the hosts, who blew Holland away with their lightning start and lead the 10-man Dutch by two at half time thanks to goals from Ciro Immobile and captain Daniele de Rossi.
Sleepy defending from the visitors allowed Immobile in for his first international goal after just three minutes, and the Dortmund striker too it well by cleverly rounding Cillessen before rolling the ball into the net. De Rossi made it two from the penalty spot on 10 minutes, after Bruno Martins Indi was sent off for denying very impressive debutant Zaza a goalscoring opportunity in the area.
The Azzurri could have been forgiven for cruising from that moment, but they kept up their speed of passing and work ethic to bully the Dutch in a first half that could have ended four or five had Immobile or Zaza managed to convert chances that came their way as a result of great link up play between the two strikers. De Rossi and De Sciglio on the left have also been standout Italy performers.
Netherlands had one decent opportunity while they still had 11 men on the field, with Wesley Sneijder curling a 20-yard short over the crossbar, but it was a horrible 45 minutes for their back four and a lonely half for Robin van Persie up front. I suspect that they will be queuing up to be substituted.
UPDATES: In the other games being played across Europe tonight, Spain and France are goalless, Belgium lead Australia 1-0 and Croatia are 2-0 up on Cyprus, with 10 minutes left in that one.
The action resumes after a 20-minute break, with neither side making half-time changes...
It has been a comfortable start to the second period for the Italians. No signs of the Dutch coming out firing as Astori, who has overcome his first-half injury, and his pals at the back keeping the ball.
CHANCE! Netherlands fashion a chance from nowhere as Ranocchia clears a Kuyt cross to Blind, who subtly cushions a header over the Italy defence for Van Persie to run on to. The United striker turns to unleash a trademark left-footed volley which whistles past Sirigou and the post as well.
Sirigou nearly gifts Holland something to cling onto when he spills a rather tame Sneijder shot behind him and scrambles to collect the loose ball. A few signs of life from the Dutch attack now...
Italy still look dangerous too, though. Zaza makes an unchecked burst into the left channel which nearly leads to a chance, while De Sciglio's overlapping run forces Janmaat to block a cross.
SHOT! Bonucci, seeking his first goal in any competition since 2010, unleashes a thunderbolt from no closer than 35 yards which stings the palms of Cillessen, who makes the catch.
SHOT! Zaza has done everything but score on his Italy debut tonight, but he has not given up on doing so yet. Giaccherini's fancy flick round the corner is heading to Marchisio before Zaza picks it up and hits a low shot which Cillessen spills before gathering at the second attempt.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Each sides makes a change as Conte swaps Marchisio for Marco Verratti in midfield, with one eye on Norway perhaps. Hiddink brings Stoke City full-back Erik Pieters on for Nigel de Jong in a change which will see Blind move into his defensive midfield role.
Things are going very smoothly for Conte on his first appearance in the Italy dugout, which will actually be familiar to him from his days in charge of Bari at the start of his managerial career. He may want a goal or two more, though, considering that Italy have been a man up for 55 minutes.
SUBSTITUTION: Another Italy change in midfield as De Rossi comes off for Lazio's Marco Parolo.
Conte brings all 10 of his players back for a set piece from Sneijder which does not beat the first man. Verratti tries to launch a counter down the right, but is outnumbered and settles for a throw.
Veltman suffers a mysterious injury after battling with Immobile in the box. There seemed to be little contact between the two players, but the Ajax man went down clutching his abdominal area.
BOOKING: Things are just getting a bit feisty now and Verratti is shown a yellow card five minutes after his introduction for catching Sneijder on the follow through of a forceful tackle.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Five changes to tell you about in total, four from Italy. Manuel Pasqual, Sebastian Giovinco, Antonio Candreva and Mattia Destro, who was a reported target for Spurs and Chelsea over the summer, come on for Darmian, Immobile, De Sciglio and Zaza, who enjoyed a very impressive debut. Gregory van der Weil replaces Daryl Janmaat at right-back for the Dutch.
This game certainly has more of a friendly feel to it now than it did in the first half. The changes have not disjointed Italy per say, but the Azzurri have generally taken their foot off the gas.
CHANCE! Just as I was saying that, they carve out a chance! Destro lays the ball wide and then makes a run into the box where he eventually heads a Candreva cross wide at the back post.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Hiddink spares Van Persie the final 10 minutes as Luciano Narsingh comes on. There will also be a five-minute run out for QPR's Leroy Fer, in place of Wijnaldum in midfield.
Pasqual knocks a cross to the back post, where Verratti tries to cushion the ball back into the six-yard box for Destro and Giovinco to make the most of, but he gets it wrong and Veltman clears.
Unsurprisingly, Italy look the only team likely to add to the scores in the final few minutes. Conte may be disappointed that his side have failed to add to the two-goal advantage which they established over 10 men as early as the 10th minutes, but there will be plenty of positives for him to take from a victory achieved without several of his most important players. Norway await them on Tuesday.
Hiddink, meanwhile, will be ruing a couple of defensive calamities which effectively ended this friendly as a contest before it had even begun. He will not have learned much about his side tonight, and the fact that they have been chasing the ball all game means that all this match has served to do is push his squad's fitness ahead of the trip to the Czech Republic. Not a good second coming for Hiddink.
We are entering TWO minutes of second-half stoppage time in Bari...
FULL-TIME: ITALY 2-0 NETHERLANDS
The final whistle ends a miserable and tiring 90 minutes for the Dutch as Italy start life under Conte with a win. Ciro Immobile and Daniele de Rossi with the goals for the Azzurri in a 2-0 victory.
That's it from Sports Mole tonight. Be sure to rejoin us for coverage of more international fixtures over the weekend. Until then...
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
