Italy coach Luciano Spalletti could
not hide his disappointment after Italy could not go beyond a
1-1 draw with their 2022 World Cup qualifying nemesis North
Macedonia in a Euro 2024 qualifier in Skopje that was the former
scudetto winning Napoli boss's first game as Azzurri head.
The result leaves Italy in a precarious situation and needing to
beat Ukraine in Milan next Tuesday.
The Azzurri have only four points from three games in qualifying
Group C, the same as the North Macedonians from four matches,
three behind second-placed Ukraine who have also played four,
and nine adrift of leaders England who have played five games
and who could only draw 1-1 in Ukraine earlier Sunday.
Only two nations qualify from the group.
"We had the possibility of hurting them but we lacked the final
pass, the one that should have showed our technical superiority
in t hose four or five situations in which we had built well:
all that was lacking was choosing the right pass," said
Spalletti, who took over from Roberto Mancini after the former
Inter and Man City coach opted for the lucrative Saudi Arabia
bench.
Italy struggled to gain momentum against North Macedonia, who
knocked Euro 2020 champions Italy out of the Qatar 2022
play-offs, and a bumpy pitch was not favourable to their more
technical style of play.
After skipper and Lazio striker Ciro Immobile gave the Azzurri
the lead on 47 minutes, Trabzonspor attacking midfielder Enis
Bardhi equalised from a free kick goalie Gigi Donnarumma should
perhaps have saved in the 81st.
"Now it's fundamental that we beat Ukraine," said Immobile, who
was in tears after the disappointing result.
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