Cesare Prandelli felt the structure and organisation of his Italy side laid the foundations for their 2-0 win in Ukraine last night.

In-form Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi and Juventus' Alessandro Matri were on target in Kiev as the Azzuri earned an impressive victory.

"I was happy to see the lads fighting in an organised manner," Prandelli said.

"We saw that we could go on the counter when Ukraine lost the ball in that position and it was important for me to see the players' spirit."

Prandelli also believes he knows more about his squad as a result of the hard-fought win.

He added: "I got some great answers and these are important games to evaluate the squad. I had good responses in terms of character, quality and determination."

With qualification for next summer's European Championships almost secured owing to the five-point lead Italy have over their nearest rivals, Prandelli now wants his men to continue to perform well.

"I ask everyone to maintain this spirit of going for the victory and continue to improve the quality of football," he said.