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Italy finds joy again. |
In the fourth match of Group I, Italy had their first win in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with goals scored by Napoli striker Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso, a defender currently on the payroll of Juventus.
The match was played in a subdued atmosphere, reflecting Italy's inconsistent form. A few days earlier, they had suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Norway, leading to the sacking of coach Luciano Spalletti. Before the match, Spalletti announced at a press conference on June 9 that the match against Moldova would be his last in charge of Italy.
Under Spalletti, Italy were eliminated by Switzerland in the last 16 of Euro 2024. He was previously appointed in August 2023 after an impressive spell in charge of top Serie A clubs Napoli, Inter Milan and Roma.
Despite having to leave his position after 24 matches in charge with 12 wins (50% win rate), the lowest since Cesare Prandelli (2010-2014), Spalletti still helped Italy end his journey with a victory.
Playing at home, Italy did not have much difficulty in overwhelming Moldova. However, they had to wait until the end of the first half to open the scoring thanks to Raspadori in the 40th minute. In the 50th minute, Cambiaso sealed a 2-0 victory for the home team.
The win keeps Italy's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup alive. They have three points from two games, behind leaders Norway (12 points from four games) and Israel (six points from three games). Italy will continue their World Cup qualifying campaign with games against Estonia and Israel on September 5 and 8.
Source: https://znews.vn/italy-gianh-chien-thang-trong-tran-cuoi-cua-hlv-spalletti-post1559553.html
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