Italy off to flying start under Conte


(Reuters) - Italy gave new coach Antonio Conte a flying start on Thursday, taking 10 minutes to equal their goal tally for the entire World Cup as they won a friendly in Bari against a depleted Netherlands, who were playing their first game under Guus Hiddink.

Mario Balotelli, dropped by Conte after the maverick striker’s World Cup performance drew barely-veiled criticism from his own team mates, was scarcely missed as the lively forward line of Ciro Immobile and Simone Zaza pestered the Dutch rearguard in a convincing 2-0 win.

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