September 09, (THEWILL) – North Macedonia earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw at home against Italy in their Euro 2024 Group C qualifier on Saturday, frustrating the Azzurri in manager Luciano Spalletti’s first match in charge.
Italy controlled the flow of the match and went ahead just after party resumed for the second period when Ciro Immobile cushioned a header into the net following Nicolò Barella’s long-range effort that struck the crossbar.
However, North Macedonia delighted the raucous home supporters when midfielder Enis Bardhi hammered a brilliant free kick from just outside the box into the top corner in the 81st minute to equalise.
The result leaves Italy third in the group on 4 points after 3 matches played, level with fourth-placed North Macedonia, even though Spalletti and his charges still have a game in hand.
Group leaders England remain top with 13 points from five games after salvaging a 1-1 draw with second-placed Ukraine earlier on Saturday. Italy next face Ukraine at the San Siro on Tuesday. For their next game, North Macedonia are away to bottom of the table Malta.
About the Author
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.
