Hello and welcome to Eurosport's LIVE text commentary of Italy's European qualifier with Finland. Team news to follow, kick-off is 45 minutes away.

Kean's shot is blocked on the edge of the box after a long spell of Italian possession.

Finland's possession may not be hurting the Italian defence, but it is killing the momentum Italy were threatening to build after notching their opening goal.

Finland are playing some lovely football at times, without penetrating the Italian defence. The right wing-back Granlund is constantly in space but his team mates are not providing him with the ball enough.

Here's Italy's opener...

OVER! A promising Finland attack ends in frustration. Lod twists and turns on the right side of the penalty area to create room for a shot, but he leans back and blazes his shot into the stands.

With Jorginho at the heart of possession, Italy are knocking the ball around with some confidence. Kean's every touch is being applauded by the home supporters.

SHOT! The referee plays a brilliant advantage, as Finland form an attack. He has two or three options either side, but Lod has glory in his thoughts and his shot is drilled wide from 25 yards.

CHANCE! Excellent wing-play from Kean! After a couple of stepovers, the youngster's turn of pace takes him past his marker and he stands up a cross to Piccini at the far post, but the fellow debutant can't direct his shot on target.

SHOT! Trying to respond immediately, Finland conjure up a decent attacking move from the right. The ball is teed up to Sparv but he doesn't get the connection he would have wanted as he slices it wide.

Any hope that Finland could hold out and frustrate Italy has gone out the window for manager Markku Kanerva.

Italy make the perfect start! Finland don't clear their lines from Verratti's free-kick on the left flank. It falls to Barella whose venomous volleyed effort from the edge of the box takes a huge deflection off Vaisanen which takes it past the helpless Hradecky.

A first glimpse of Kean, who drives down the left flank with some pace, but his cross is straight into the arms of Hradecky.

Bernardeschi's through-ball has Immobile running, but a defender gets in the way to shepherd the ball out of play. This has been an energetic start from Italy.

Debutant Piccini bombs forward on the right flank and races onto a through-pass, but he isn't quick enough to keep the ball in play. Italy are focusing their attacks down this right side in the opening exchanges.

The hosts are immediately on the front foot, the ball switched to Bernardeschi on the right flank. He slips as he delivers his cross, however, and the ball goes out of play. They will hope that mistake is not a sign of things to come.

Italy, with only one win in their last six competitive matches, game the game underway.

A reminder of the line-ups as we approach kick-off at Dacia Arena.

Italy: G Donnarumma; Piccini, Bonucci, Chiellini, Biraghi; Verratti, Jorginho, Barella; Bernardeschi, Immobile, Kean.

Finland: Hradecky; Granlund, Toivio, Arajuuri, Pirinen; Lod, Kamara, Sparv, S Vaisanen; Pukki, Hamalainen

It has been a long, long time since Italy were last defeated in a European qualifier. You have to go the whole way back to September 2006, when they were beaten 3-1 by France. Since then, they have won 24 games, drawn six and lost none.

More from Mancini: "We want to entertain the fans and ourselves. It’ll be a packed stadium, it’s up to us to fire the fans up and hope they give us a hand too."

The Azzuri haven't scored more than once in a competitive game since thrashing Liechtenstein 5-0 back in June 2017.

Having failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia, it would be simply unthinkable for Italy to not make it out of their European qualifying group. Greece are probably their biggest threat to the top spot in a pool that also consists of Armenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.