Italy struggle to victory against Moldova
IMAGE: Italy coach Luciano Spalletti celebrates with his players after winning the World Cup – European qualifier match against Moldova, at Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, on Monday. Photograph: Daniele Mascolo/Reuters
Sacked Italy manager Luciano Spalletti bowed out with a victory after his side laboured to an uninspired 2-0 home win over Moldova in their World Cup qualification match on Monday thanks to goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso.
Spalletti announced his own dismissal on Sunday following Italy’s 3-0 loss in Norway in their opening group game on Friday, but took charge for one final time where again the performance showed why a change of leadership was required.
Norway, who won 1-0 in Estonia with Erling Haaland netting the winner, top Group I on 12 points from four games, with Israel on six points after three matches while Italy are third with three points from their two games.
“I asked the guys to let me go out with a victory,” Spalletti told Sky Sport shortly before kickoff.
While his players duly obliged, it was perhaps a fitting end to Spalletti’s time on the bench as another lacklustre showing failed to light up a far from full Stadio Citta del Tricolore.
With Italy’s slow, predictable build-up play failing to break through the visitors’ rearguard, the hosts were given an early wake-up call when Ion Nicolaescu found the net only for his goal to be ruled out for offside.
IMAGE: Italy’s Andrea Cambiaso celebrates scoring their second goal with Mateo Retegui. Photograph: Daniele Mascolo/Reuters
Italy’s first threat came when defender Luca Ranieri, making his international debut, hit the crossbar with a header, and they found the breakthrough five minutes before the break.
A headed clearance fell to Raspadori in the box who struck first time into the bottom corner but Moldova almost levelled before halftime when Oleg Reabciuk’s shot from distance was parried away by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Artur Ionita’s follow-up effort went wide of the far post and Daniel Dumbravanu’s header from a corner was cleared off the line by Federico Dimarco as Italy hung onto their lead.
Italy doubled their lead five minutes into the second half when substitute Riccardo Orsolini sent a low cross into the area which Davide Frattesi knocked on to Cambiaso who fired past keeper Cristian Avram.
IMAGE: Italy coach Luciano Spalletti’s name was booed by large sections of the crowd when read out before kickoff, and the game failed to improve the mood. Photograph: Daniele Mascolo/Reuters
The two-goal cushion failed to inspire Italy. Frattesi was sent through on goal from a ball over the top by Alessandro Bastoni but he sent his shot straight at the keeper and Moldova continued to create chances of their own.
“We struggled again tonight,” Spalletti told Rai Sport.
“When you are the coach of the national team you cannot have alibis because he chooses the players and if they don’t do well he can change them.”
Spalletti’s name was booed by large sections of the crowd when read out before kickoff, and the game failed to improve the mood, and Italian fans will hope for better when a replacement, rumoured to be Claudio Ranieri, is installed.
De Bruyne to the rescue as Belgium edge Welsh fightback
IMAGE: Belgium’s players celebrate after Romelu Lukaku scores the first goal against Wales at King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters
Kevin De Bruyne came to Belgium’s rescue with a winner two minutes from time as they scraped a 4-3 home victory over Wales in their World Cup qualifier on Monday after seeing their early lead evaporate as the visitors launched an unlikely fightback.
Belgium had been 3-0 up inside the first half hour, but Wales battled back to level the game before the Belgian talisman handed his side a potentially precious win in the Group J qualifiers for the 2026 finals in North America.
It was a controversy-filled encounter with two penalties and several lengthy interventions by VAR.
Belgium’s record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku got things going with a 15th minute penalty, followed by goals in the 19th minute for captain Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku in the 27th minute.
Wales pulled a goal back from a Harry Wilson spotkick on the stroke of halftime and then turned the game around with second half strikes from Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson.
De Bruyne, however, brought the home team much relief with a back post finish in the 88th minute as he ghosted in unmarked to get onto the end of a Tielemans long cross from the other side of the field.
It was De Bruyne who got things going early on with a point-blank strike that struck Johnson on the arm and, after a lengthy VAR check, led to Belgium taking the lead as Lukaku slotted home his 89th goal for Belgium.
IMAGE: Belgium’s Amadou Onana attempts a shot at goal. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters
Four minutes later, a sweeping move from the right flank to the left was started when De Bruyne stole away possession and quickly led to the second home goal, finished by Tielemans slamming home a square pass from Maxim De Cuyper.
Doku then added the third with a fine individual effort. He was walking with the ball at his feet, teasing the visiting defenders on the right side of the attack before quickly cutting inside and unleashing a left-footed drive that Wales goalkeeper Karl Darlow got a hand to but could not keep out.
A shell-shocked Wales were handed a lifeline in stoppage time at the end of the first half when home goalkeeper Matz Sels was adjudged to have fouled Chris Mepham as he attempted to punch away a setpiece and Wilson converted the resultant spotkick.
Wilson then played a sublime cross-field pass to find Thomas on the left and he had ample time to finish to offer his side some hope as the score went to 3-2 in the 61st minute.
Wales’ 70th-minute equaliser came in almost similar fashion with Wilson picking out Thomas, who headed the ball back across the goal for Johnson to finish.
But Wales had their hopes dashed at the end to slip to second in the standings behind North Macedonia, who won 1-0 away earlier on Monday in Kazakhstan.
North Macedonia have eight points to Wales’ seven after four matches for both sides while Belgium have four after two fixtures completed.
