Egypt remained Group A sole leaders after Italy and Paraguay played out a tame goalless draw in the U-20 World Cup on Friday at Cairo Stadium. The Pharaohs kicked off their campaign in superb fashion after outclassing Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 on Thursday, and they got to keep their leadership. Italy came on with all guns blazing, looking for an early opener, while Paraguay were struggling to keep the Azzurri's strikers at bay. Andrea Mazzarani was the first to come close to scoring, but his long-range free-kick went wide of the mark. Italy didn't keep the upper hand for long despite their blistering start, as their opposition took control of the game in no time. Paraguay could have taken the lead in the first period if it wasn't for goalie Giuseppe Fiorillo, who punched away a powerful volley from Lorenzo Melgarejo after 18 minutes. Italy tried to make use of set pieces after the interval. Fabio Sciacca cannoned a goal-ward free-kick, but Joel Silva blocked his efforts. Paraguay's Federico Santander had the most precious chance of the second half after releasing a delightful shot that hit the side-netting. Melgarejo wasted another opportunity on 81 minutes.
