INSPIRED Italy outplayed Wales to hand out a European Championship and World Cup warning to England. Arrigo Sacchi's assured Azzurri made light of the treacherous conditions last night in the Stadio Libero Liberati 80 miles north of Rome, to give an admirable display.

Once Alessandro Del Piero of Juventus had put Italy in front inside 80 seconds, the only question was how many Sacchis side would get. With England chief scout Ted Buxton making copious notes in the stands, the leaky Welsh were indebted to the brilliance of Neville Southall for keeping the score down to three.

Del Piero's grey haired Juventus colleague, Fabrizio Ravanelli, who led the Welsh rearguard a merry dance, got the deserved second five minutes after the break.

Ravanelli then turned provider for substitute Pierluigi Casiraghi as Bobby Gould's side were swept aside by the sheer quality of the Italian play.

It could have been even more demoralising for Wales, with only Southall, the near farcical conditions and the generosity of the Italian finishing sparing Gould's tattered troop a real hiding. Del Piero was the most culpable, squandering three gilt edged opportunities.