An uninspiring Italy only partially redeems the bad defeat in Naples against England and wins in Malta, thus gaining the first points in the qualifying round for the next European championships.

It ends 0-2 thanks to Retegui's second goal in as many games in the blue shirt and Pessina's double, both in the first half.

Mancini changes many compared to the formation that faced the English but confirms the 4-3-3 with the Italian-Argentine at the center of the attack: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Scalvini, Romagnoli, Emerson; Tonali, Cristante, Pessina; Politano, Retegui, Gnonto.

The Maltese coached by Marcolini respond with a 3-5-2: Bonello; Apap, Borg, Attard; J. Mbong, Yankam, Guillaumier, N. Muscat, Corbolan; Satariano, Jones.

The Azzurri got off to a bad start and Donnarumma immediately had to show all his reflexes to avoid the hosts' goal. But after fifteen minutes the advantage arrives: a corner from Tonali, the Maltese leave Retegui very alone in the center of the area who scores a header.

Immediately the goal, the Maltese disunited and after the injury of Gnonto (replaced by Grifo), in the 27th minute Pessina doubled his lead, who, two steps from the goal line, pushed Emerson's low cross from the left into the net, which was deflected still from Tonali.

In the second half, the rhythms slowed down: Italy risked big in a scrum and in another couple of occasions in which the Maltese didn't take advantage of our defensive blunders, they came close to making a trio with Scamacca and brought home an unconvincing but useful victory to move the ranking after the defeat in Naples.

(Unioneonline/L)

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