Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has said that his side's 3-0 defeat to Russia on Friday could be a blessing in disguise ahead of Euro 2012.
Zenit St. Petersburg striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov broke the deadlock with an hour gone, before teammate Roman Shirokov grabbed two more to seal the win in the Azzurri's final match before the tournament begins next week.
"Perhaps losing this badly could help us," Prandelli told Rai.
"Are the defenders to blame? The team is to blame. We made mistakes. Russia were stronger than us. We must work hard to improve."
The Italians take on defending champions Spain to begin the tournament.
