Italy were held to a 1-1 draw by an assured Switzerland side.
Italy were held to a 1-1 draw by an assured Switzerland side as both teams continued to gear up for the World Cup.The Azzurri welcomed playmaker Francesco Totti back into their starting XI for the first time in three months, and also included Alessandro Del Piero in a 4-3-3 formation.
It was the third striker, Alberto Gilardino, who impressed most though, and his clever movement in the box allowed him to poke home Fabio Grosso's left wing cross from close range in the 11th minute.
The Swiss responded magnificently, and levelled on 32 minutes when Daniel Gygax struck a ferocious shot from outside the area into the top left corner.
Switzerland continued to play fast, flowing football in the second half, indicating that they could be a real surprise package at the World Cup, but Italy gave as good as they got in an entertaining final quarter.
Marcello Lippi's side open their tricky Group E campaign against Ghana on June 12, while Switzerland take on France in their first game a day later.
