The match against Scotland, played in the Maltese national stadium in Ta' Qali, was also the only game for Antonio Conte to evaluate his 30-man provisional roster before Tuesday's deadline for submitting his final squad.
That gave the game an importance far beyond its result. The Italians won 1-0 on a delicious curling strike by Graziano Pelle, but that was never Conte's main concern going into the match. He needed to work out who would make his final cut, especially in his injury-depleted midfield.
Unfortunately, there was little progress made on that account, at least not overtly.