Roberto Mancini's side toiled for much of Wednesday's (AEDT) international friendly in Genk but finally found a way to beat impressive goalkeeper Ethan Horvath with mere seconds remaining in added time.

Politano only came on as a substitute with three minutes to play but he dashed into the box to finish sweetly at the end of a rare incisive attack from the Azzurri.

Italy has now kept three clean sheets in a row but Mancini will be concerned about how long it took his team to break down an inexperienced United States side.