The Chelsea midfielder had remained on the bench during the Azzurri’s opening UEFA Nations League match on Friday night, when they drew 1-1 at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but he was back in the starting line-up against the Netherlands and as would be expected when his side had control of most of the game, he was much involved and linked up plenty of play.

Jorginho also contributed to the game’s only goal, scored just before half-time and involving some intricate play down the Italy left. He played one of the passes as the away team moved fluidly. Lazio’s Ciro Immobile crossed and Nicolo Barella, the Inter Milan midfielder, got between Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake to head in.

The scorer had earlier forced a good save from Jasper Cillessen while Gianluigi Donnarumma in the other goal was only properly troubled once, when he tipped over a shot by new Man United signing Donny van de Beek early in the second half.

Though the Italians had to do plenty of defending in the closing stages, they did it well and kept the Dutch at bay. They now lead Group A after two games, one point ahead of tonight’s opponents and Poland.

In Albania’s Nations League match at home to Lithunia, Armando Broja was given his senior international debut. The 18-year-old striker, who is on loan at Vitesse having made his Chelsea debut just before lockdown against Everton, is in the Albania squad for the first time and although he was not involved at all in their win in Belarus on Friday, tonight he came off the bench with quarter-of-an-hour to go to win his first cap.

The result was a defeat however, Lithuania scoring the only goal early in the second half. All four teams in this group are now on three points after each has played twice.