Immobile scores, Barella inspires, Donnarumma makes a mistake: North Macedonia-Italy 1-1
Luciano Spalletti's adventure starts with a disappointing draw, qualification for Euro 2024 is at risk: we need to beat Ukraine on Tuesday
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Luciano Spalletti's first Italy team doesn't inspire and doesn't win, against the North Macedonia team that eliminated us from the last World Cup, they don't go beyond a draw in the match valid for the Euro 2024 qualifiers. In Skopje it ends 1-1: in the 47th minute 'Ciro Immobile took the lead inspired by Nicolò Barella, in the 81st minute a free kick from Bardhi froze us, with the complicity of Donnarumma.
TRAINING
The first starting eleven of the coach who arrived less than a month ago, after Mancini's sudden resignation, confirms the indications of the day before. Azzurri on the pitch with the 4-3-3, Chiesa and Pellegrini absent due to injury: Donnnarumma between the posts, Di Lorenzo and Dimarco at full-backs, the Bastoni-Mancini pair at the center of the defence, in midfield Cristante directing with Barella and Tonali, in attack Politano and Zaccagni on the outside and Immobile centrally.
THE NEWS
In the first half, Italy hit the post with Tonali and came close to scoring with Dimarco, Cristante and Politano. But he fails to unlock it and also runs too many risks on the Macedonian counterattacks.
In the second half we start again with Zaniolo replacing Politano. And after just over a minute the Azzurri took the lead: a great shot from Barella which hit the crossbar, but Immobile hit the rebound and headed it back into the net. The hosts react, Italy suffers, taking a big risk with a shot from the edge of the edge by Elmas which ends up just wide of the post and in the 81st minute they capitulate also due to an error by Donnarumma, who concedes a goal on his post from a free kick well kicked from the edge by Bardhi.
Spalletti shuffles the cards: Gnonto, Raspadori and Biraghi are in, Zaccagni, Tonali and Dimarco are out, before the injured Mancini had also left for Scalvini. But Italy fails to create danger in the final and the match ends with a disappointing 1-1.
THE RANKING
With this afternoon's draw between Ukraine and England, the ranking of group C (the top two qualify for the European Championships) sees England with 13 points, Ukraine with 7, Italy and North Macedonia with 4, Malta stuck at 0. Qualification Euro 2024 is at risk, but nothing is lost: the Azzurri have one game less than the Ukrainians and Macedonians, two less than the English, and on Tuesday there is the direct Italy-Ukraine clash at San Siro.
(Unioneonline/L)
