March 27, (THEWILL) – Italy clinched a crucial win against Malta in their Euro 2024 qualifier, with goals from Mateo Retegui and Matteo Pessina in the first half.
The victory was much needed for Roberto Mancini’s team after their disappointing defeat to England in their opening qualifier. Malta almost took an early lead, but Gianluigi Donnarumma made a great save to deny Alexander Satariano.
The wake-up call spurred Italy on and Retegui headed in a Sandro Tonali corner kick to open the scoring in the 15th minute. Pessina doubled their lead ten minutes later, tapping home a low cross from Emerson. Italy controlled the rest of the game, passing the ball comfortably without much effort to score a third.
Despite this, Mancini made several attacking changes, including bringing on Gianluca Scamacca, who almost scored a spectacular overhead kick from a set piece. The win was a much-needed boost for Italy in their qualifying campaign, as they seek to qualify for the Euro 2024 tournament.
With Retegui and Pessina on the scoresheet, Mancini will be pleased with their performances and the team’s overall display.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
