Italy kept alive their faint hopes of qualifying automatically for the 2026 World Cup as they beat Israel 3-0 despite an underwhelming display in Udine.
In front of a paltry crowd of around 9,000 in Udinese’s 25,000-capacity Stadio Friuli, Gennaro Gattuso’s team found the victory they needed but not a performance to inspire confidence ahead their meeting with group leaders Norway in November.
Mateo Retegui scored a brace, the first a penalty in added time at the end of the first half before finally settling his team’s nerves with a lovely curling finish in the 74th minute.
Gianluca Mancini’s header in the third minute of stoppage time added a gloss that his side’s shaky display perhaps did not warrant.
The area was declared a “red zone,” and supporters were strongly advised to arrive early because of rigorous security checks, with everyone attending having to pass through metal detectors.
“Today wasn’t easy for us,” Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said. “I want to thank the police who have done an incredible job in these days.”
Italy face Moldova in Chisinau before Norway visit Milan on Nov. 16, but given the group leaders’ massive goal-difference advantage it will almost certainly require Estonia to take points off Norway in Oslo to keep Italian hopes alive.
Israel should have gone ahead in the first half in Udine. A fine counter-attacking move ended with Tai Baribo moving the ball wide to Manor Solomon, who bore down and drilled a fierce effort goalwards that Gianluigi Donnarumma finger-tipped over the bar with lightning reactions.
Italy stayed in the hunt for an automatic bid to the 2026 World Cup with a win over Israel on Tuesday.
Oscar Gloukh then drilled wide of the near post following a good cut-back from Anan Khalaili as Italy tottered, their prospects of reaching next year’s finals looking increasingly shaky.
They finally got their break in stoppage time at the end of the first half. Working the ball in from the left flank, Giacomo Raspadori knocked it into the feet of Retegui inside the box. As he sought to turn, a clumsy challenge from Matan Baltaxa sent him to the floor, the defender going through the back of the Al-Qadsiah striker in a doomed effort to reach the ball.
Retegui picked himself up and drilled an excellent penalty into the top corner to make it 1-0.
Donnarumma produced another excellent stop on the hour mark, low down to his right with a strong one-handed block to deny Solomon.
The victory was sealed 16 minutes from time and it was a fine finish from Retegui to clinch it.
Eli Dasa gave the ball away with a poor piece of control in the right-back position, allowing Retegui to nip and advance on goal before unleashing a perfectly placed, curling effort that arched away from goalkeeper Omri Glazer into the top corner.
Federico Dimarco crossed for Mancini to make it three in stoppage time, but it may prove to be academic.
Fewer than 10,000 tickets were sold for the qualifier at the 25,000-seat Stadio Friuli, and there appeared to be fewer people inside the stadium than at the demonstration.
The staging of the game was thrown into doubt last month when UEFA considered suspending Israel over the war and Udine Mayor Alberto Felice De Toni called for the game to be postponed.
“Honestly it wasn’t easy … for many days we were always there thinking that maybe there was the possibility of not playing the match,” Gattuso said. “We came, we prepared for it with an environment that we knew was not a festive environment and we felt that.”