The Azzurri claimed a crucial victory to stay alive in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Italy defeated Ukraine 2-1 in their European Championship qualifying game on Tuesday. Two first-half goals were enough to ensure Azzurri’s victory at San Siro.
What happened?
Italy started the game by pushing for an early breakthrough. Following a few half chances, Luciano Spalletti’s men got what they were looking for in the 12th minute.
Following a quick move from Mattia Zaccagni down the left flank, the Lazio midfielder slid the ball to Davide Frattessi, who made it 1-0 with a powerful finish inside the box.
Only 17 minutes later, Frattesi scored again to double Italy’s lead. The Inter star seemed to be offside when he latched onto a deflected shot inside the visitors’ box. But a quick VAR check showed the referee’s initial decision to count the goal was correct.
Ukraine managed to find their feet in the game as the first period went on. The visitors got back into the game through Andriy Yarmolenko in the 41st minute. However, they failed to maintain the momentum after the break.
Italy re-established their dominance over the possession as they pushed for their third goal. However, Spalletti’s side had to settle for the 2-1 win as they failed to convert their chances in the second half.
Italy vs Ukraine: Man of the Match
Frattesi won the game for Italy with his brace in the first half. The Inter star’s brilliant goal instinct helped Italy clinch a vital victory as they push to qualify for the 2024 Euros.
Player Ratings
Italy: Donnarumma (6), Dimarco (6), Bastoni (7), Scalvini (7), Di Lorenzo (7), Barella (6), Locatelli (7), Frattesi (8), Zaccagni (6), Raspadori (6), Zaniolo (7).
Bench: Biraghi (7), Gnonto (7), Orsolini (6), Retegui (6), Cristante (6).
Ukraine: Bushchan (6), Mykolenko (5), Kryvtsov (7), Zabarnyi (7), Konoplya (6), Zinchenko (6), Stepanenko (6), Tsygankov (6), Sudakov (5), Yarmolenko (7), Dovbyk (6).
Bench: Mudryk (5), Yaremchuk (6), Buyalskyi (5), Vanat (6), Sydorchuk (6).
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