Ruthless Italy punish Malta to secure first win in Euro 2024 qualifiers

MALTA            0

ITALY 2

Retegui 14

Pessina 27

MALTA

H. Bonello, C. Attard (63 Z. Muscat), S. Borg, M. Guillaumier, J. Mbong, F. Apap (83 J. Brown), A. Satariano (63 K. Nwoko), J. Corbalan, N. Muscat (76 T. Teuma), Y. Yankam, J. Jones (76 S. Dimech).

ITALY

G. Donnarumma, G. Di Lorenzo (46 M. Darmian), W. Gnonto (21 V. Grifo), M. Pessina, Emerson, G. Scalvini (83 R. Toloi), B. Cristante, M. Politano, M. Retegui (66 G. Scamacca), S. Tonali (66 M. Verratti), A. Romagnoli.

Referee Georgi Kabakov.

Yellow cards Di Lorenzo, Scalvini.

Two goals midway through the first half were enough for Italy to see off Malta at the National Stadium.

Goals from Mateo Retegui and Matteo Pessina in the space of 13 first-half minutes were enough for the European champions to turn the match in their favour and record their first win in Group C of the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

There was never any doubt on Italy’s supremacy on the day, but one just wonders what would have happened had Alex Satariano made the most of an early goalscoring opportunity after only five minutes of play.

Escaped this early scare Italy took complete control of the match and punished the home side for some poor position in defence.

The Maltese struggled to match their opponents’ quality, particularly in midfield where the absence of the not fully-fit Teddy Teuma was sorely felt.

Coach Marcolini will surely have mixed feelings on his team’s performances in the opening qualifiers. One area that he will need to work on is to try and rediscover the team’s sharpness when pushing forward as the team lacked the fluent attacking play displayed in previous months, albeit some key personnel were missing from these matches.

No doubt there is still a lot of work to do for Marcolini ahead of June’s qualifiers against England, at home, and away to Ukraine, but at least he will have more time to inject his tactical ideas to his players.

Marcolini was forced to leave influential midfielder Teddy Teuma, who picked up a hamstring injury in North Macedonia, and was replaced by Yannik Yankam. Nikolai Muscat was preferred to Bjorn Kristensen while Juan Corbalan started ahead of Ryan Camenzuli while Jodi Jones played in support of Alex Satariano.

Italy coach Roberto Mancini rang the changes as he made no less than eight changes from the team that lost to England last week.

Gianluigi Donnarumma kept his place in goal but there were three changes in the team’s four-man defence as Leonardo Spinazzola, Francesco Acerbi and Rafael Toloi were all dropped with their place going to Alessio Romagnoli, Emerson Palmieri and Giorgio Scalvini.

In midfield Sandro Tonali, Bryan Cristante and Matteo Pessina were given the nod to start in a newly-formed three-man midfield with Marco Verratti, Jorginho and the injured Nicolo Barella making way.

Upfront, Argentine striker Mateo Retegui was flanked by Wilfried Gnonto and Matteo Politano who were preferred to Luigi Pellegrini and Domenico Berardi.

Malta were agonisingly close to take a shock lead after five minutes of play when Joseph Mbong sped past two opponents before teeing up Alex Satariano who was denied by a fine save from Gianluigi Donnarumma.

From the ensuing flag kick, Yankam connected to Jones’s deivery but his header was blocked by the Italy goalkeeper.

Italy responded on 13 minutes when Alessio Romagnoli tried his luck from the distance with Bonello tipping the ball just over.

But from the ensuing corner, taken by Tonali, Mateo Retegui escaped the marking of Steve Borg to head firmly past Bonello to put the Italians ahead.

On 21 minutes Mancini was forced to make his first change when Wilfried Gnonto pulled out injured and was replaced by Vincenzo Grifo.

Things got worse for the home side on 28 minutes when Italy doubled their lead. Emerson was given space on the right and his cross was stabbed home by Pessina.

The Maltese looked rattled and Italy could have piled more misery on the home side on the half hour when Di Lorenzo’s cross was met by Grifo who was denied by a fine save from Bonello.

Malta had a half chance just before the break when Ferdinando Apap recovered the ball and served Satariano who fluffed his effort.

The Maltese tried to fight back early in the second half and Corbalan battled his way on the right but his shot flashed wide.

Malta almost pulled a goal back on 56 minutes when Guillaumier latched onto Jones’ delivery but Emerson Palmieri cleared off the line.

Bonello denied Italy a third goal when the Ħamrun Spartans goalkeeper showed great reflexes to keep out an overhead shot from substitute Gianluca Scamacca who had just replaced Retegui.

On 74 minutes, Marcolini sprang a surprise when he brought on Teuma for the final 15 minutes of the match

Eleven minutes from time, Malta threatened when Guillaumier drifted the ball into the path of the unmarked Mbong who saw his shot blocked by a defender.

The final minutes had little to offer as the Italians easily administered to return home with the three points in the bag.

MALTA            0

ITALY 2

Retegui 14

Pessina 27

MALTA

H. Bonello, C. Attard (63 Z. Muscat), S. Borg, M. Guillaumier, J. Mbong, F. Apap (83 J. Brown), A. Satariano (63 K. Nwoko), J. Corbalan, N. Muscat (76 T. Teuma), Y. Yankam, J. Jones (76 S. Dimech).

ITALY

G. Donnarumma, G. Di Lorenzo (46 M. Darmian), W. Gnonto (21 V. Grifo), M. Pessina, Emerson, G. Scalvini (83 R. Toloi), B. Cristante, M. Politano, M. Retegui (66 G. Scamacca), S. Tonali (66 M. Verratti), A. Romagnoli.

Referee Georgi Kabakov.

Yellow cards Di Lorenzo, Scalvini.

Two goals midway through the first half were enough for Italy to see off Malta at the National Stadium.

Goals from Mateo Retegui and Matteo Pessina in the space of 13 first-half minutes were enough for the European champions to turn the match in their favour and record their first win in Group C of the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

There was never any doubt on Italy’s supremacy on the day, but one just wonders what would have happened had Alex Satariano made the most of an early goalscoring opportunity after only five minutes of play.

Escaped this early scare Italy took complete control of the match and punished the home side for some poor position in defence.

The Maltese struggled to match their opponents’ quality, particularly in midfield where the absence of the not fully-fit Teddy Teuma was sorely felt.

Coach Marcolini will surely have mixed feelings on his team’s performances in the opening qualifiers. One area that he will need to work on is to try and rediscover the team’s sharpness when pushing forward as the team lacked the fluent attacking play displayed in previous months, albeit some key personnel were missing from these matches.

No doubt there is still a lot of work to do for Marcolini ahead of June’s qualifiers against England, at home, and away to Ukraine, but at least he will have more time to inject his tactical ideas to his players.

Marcolini was forced to leave influential midfielder Teddy Teuma, who picked up a hamstring injury in North Macedonia, and was replaced by Yannik Yankam. Nikolai Muscat was preferred to Bjorn Kristensen while Juan Corbalan started ahead of Ryan Camenzuli while Jodi Jones played in support of Alex Satariano.

Italy coach Roberto Mancini rang the changes as he made no less than eight changes from the team that lost to England last week.

Gianluigi Donnarumma kept his place in goal but there were three changes in the team’s four-man defence as Leonardo Spinazzola, Francesco Acerbi and Rafael Toloi were all dropped with their place going to Alessio Romagnoli, Emerson Palmieri and Giorgio Scalvini.

In midfield Sandro Tonali, Bryan Cristante and Matteo Pessina were given the nod to start in a newly-formed three-man midfield with Marco Verratti, Jorginho and the injured Nicolo Barella making way.

Upfront, Argentine striker Mateo Retegui was flanked by Wilfried Gnonto and Matteo Politano who were preferred to Luigi Pellegrini and Domenico Berardi.

Malta were agonisingly close to take a shock lead after five minutes of play when Joseph Mbong sped past two opponents before teeing up Alex Satariano who was denied by a fine save from Gianluigi Donnarumma.

From the ensuing flag kick, Yankam connected to Jones’s deivery but his header was blocked by the Italy goalkeeper.

Italy responded on 13 minutes when Alessio Romagnoli tried his luck from the distance with Bonello tipping the ball just over.

But from the ensuing corner, taken by Tonali, Mateo Retegui escaped the marking of Steve Borg to head firmly past Bonello to put the Italians ahead.

On 21 minutes Mancini was forced to make his first change when Wilfried Gnonto pulled out injured and was replaced by Vincenzo Grifo.

Things got worse for the home side on 28 minutes when Italy doubled their lead. Emerson was given space on the right and his cross was stabbed home by Pessina.

The Maltese looked rattled and Italy could have piled more misery on the home side on the half hour when Di Lorenzo’s cross was met by Grifo who was denied by a fine save from Bonello.

Malta had a half chance just before the break when Ferdinando Apap recovered the ball and served Satariano who fluffed his effort.

The Maltese tried to fight back early in the second half and Corbalan battled his way on the right but his shot flashed wide.

Malta almost pulled a goal back on 56 minutes when Guillaumier latched onto Jones’ delivery but Emerson Palmieri cleared off the line.

Bonello denied Italy a third goal when the Ħamrun Spartans goalkeeper showed great reflexes to keep out an overhead shot from substitute Gianluca Scamacca who had just replaced Retegui.

On 74 minutes, Marcolini sprang a surprise when he brought on Teuma for the final 15 minutes of the match.

Eleven minutes from time, Malta threatened when Guillaumier drifted the ball into the path of the unmarked Mbong who saw his shot blocked by a defender.

The final minutes had little to offer as the Italians easily administered to return home with the three points in the bag.