FINISHED: International Friendly Player Ratings: Italy 0-0 Netherlands
Italy
Buffon 6 - Had nothing really exceptional to do all night on his 100th appearence for the Azzurri.
Zambrotta 6 - Was rarely seen coming forward and stuck mostly to his defensive duties.
Cannavaro 6.5 - Marshalled the Azzurri's defence with his usual confidence.
Chiellini 6 - Played a bit too rough at times but also showed concentration throughout the game. Injured Van Persie right at the beginning of the match, forcing him to come off.
Grosso 6.5 - Made a lot of runs forward as usual, but often his crosses left something to be desired.
Palombo 7 - Fought hard in midfield and won a lot of balls, doing exactly what's expected of him.
Camoranesi 5.5 - Didn't show his Juventus form with the national team. Showed poor understanding with Zambrotta on the left, trying far too many back-heeled passes.
Pirlo 6.5 - Distributed the ball well for the most part and rarely lost possession.
Candreva 6 - A decent debut for the Livorno player, as he found himself in dangerous positions frequently, but probably not quite World Cup material.
Palladino 5.5 - Missed a huge chance to open the score with a touch on a corner kick from a great position which he sent well over the bar.
Gilardino 5 - Was seen very rarely and just could not find himself in any dangerous positions.
Substitutes
Rossi 6 - Certainly threatened more than Gilardino after replacing him near the hour mark.
Criscito N/A
Marchionni N/A
Biondini N/A
Montolivo N/A
Pazzini N/A
Netherlands
Stekelenburg 6.5 - Had to make a couple of routine saves, but at least he was given something to do, unlike his colleague Buffon.
Van Der Wiel 6 - Rarely came forward but played with concentration in defence.
Mathijsen 6.5 - Made very few mistakes in defence.
Heitinga 7 - A very confident performance by the central defender, who made countless clearences and tackles.
Van Bronckhorst 5.5 - Is starting to show his age as he was unable to make any of his trademark forward runs.
Van Bommel 6 - Spent most of the time bickering with his opponents and making fouls in midfield. But that's what he's known for.
De Jong 6 - Stuck mostly to defensive duties in the middle of the park, but also fired a couple of dangerous shots.
Kuyt 6.5 - Worked hard for the team as usual and also played a part in a few dangerous moves.
Van Der Vaart 6.5 - Could not quite come up with a decisive moment but still showed some good skill and sharp passing.
Elia 7 - The Dutch's most dangerous forward player. His dribbles on the left wing frequently had the Azzurri defenders chasing at shadows.
Van Persie N/A - Was forced to withdraw from the match after just 15 minutes due to a knee injury caused by a clash with Chiellini.
Substitutes
Huntelaar 5 - Came in to replace the injured Van Persie, but once again playing against Italian defenders proved as tough for him as it's been at Milan.
Afellay N/A
Babel N/A
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