Copa America champion Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 in a friendly yesterday to again confirm its place among football's elite.
Usually a reserve, Malaga striker Sebastian Fernandez put the 2010 World Cup semifinalists ahead after three minutes at the Stadio Olimpico with a shot from the middle of the area.
Italy dominated much of the rest of the match but couldn't quite find the target in its toughest test since Cesare Prandelli replaced Marcello Lippi as the Azzurri coach after last year's embarrassing first-round World Cup exit.
Uruguay, which was missing two key forwards, ended with 10 men when Alvarez Pereira received his second yellow card in the 81st for putting his arm in the way of a cross.
Fresh from his four-goal performance in a 4-0 rout of Chile, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez sat out with a muscle problem and Diego Forlan – the top player at last year's World Cup – was also missing.
Italy was also without its usual starting forwards, with Antonio Cassano and Giuseppe Rossi both in danger of missing next year's European Championship as they recover from heart and knee surgeries, respectively.
Roma forward Pablo Osvaldo lined up alongside Mario Balotelli in Italy's attack, and it was Balotelli who had the first opportunity less than a minute in, although Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera – playing in the same stadium he used to perform at with Lazio – made a comfortable save.
Ranked fourth by FIFA, Uruguay took the lead two minutes later through Fernandez, who was left unmarked to redirect a cross from Martin Caceres in between two immobile defenders. Gianluigi Buffon, who matched Dino Zoff for the Italy goalkeeping record with his 112th cap, had little chance to stop the shot.
Balotelli had time to line up a long shot that Muslera punched away in the 17th minute. The effort was similar to the one which the Manchester City striker scored with against Poland on Friday for his first international goal.
With Italy pressing forward at will, fullback Federico Balzaretti headed just wide following a corner in the 35th and Balotelli showed his skills in the 39th by spinning around for a shot inside the area, although it went directly at Muslera.
Italy changed from a 4-3-2-1 to a 4-3-3 when winger Simone Pepe replaced playmaker Riccardo Montolivo to start the second half and Pepe put a well-placed shot on goal in the 56th that drew a diving save from Muslera, who now plays for Galatasaray in Turkey.
Juventus forward Alessandro Matri replaced Osvaldo at the center of the Azzurri attack in the 65th as Prandelli continued to tinker with his attacking options.
Balotelli had Italy's final chance with another long shot that sailed just high and wide.
Even with ticket prices as low as €10, both ends of the stadium were largely empty, with an announced attendance of 42,000. One side of the stands was filled with schoolchildren dressed in the green-white-and-red of Italy's flag to mark the 150th anniversary of the country's unification.