Italy Under-21s coach Devis Mangia has lavished praised on his players following their 1-0 victory over their England counterparts.

The Italians dominated the U21 Euro 2013 Group A contest, but won by only a single goal scored by Napoli youngster Lorenzo Insigne.

"We suffered a little bit in the final minutes and at the start of the second half when they went to three in midfield, but overall we put in a great performance today," Mangia told Rai Sport.

"We played all the time and never gave the ball away. It's only normal that in a game like this the deadlock can be broken from a set piece, but the team played very well.

"Was Insigne going to be substituted before he scored? It's very difficult for me to take him off, as he'd have to really make me angry."

The result leaves Italy top of the group following Israel and Norway's 2-2 draw earlier today.