September 13, (THEWILL) – Davide Frattesi was the hero for Italy as his brace ensured the Azzurri got their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign back on track with a 2-1 win against Ukraine on Tuesday.
The victory at the San Siro moves Italy up to second place in Group C. Frattesi, the Inter Milan midfielder, netted twice in the opening half-hour to hand coach Luciano Spalletti his first home success since taking charge of the European champions. The 22-year-old was picked to replace the injured Sandro Tonali and rifled in two clinical low finishes.
The win takes Italy level on seven points with Ukraine, who got a goal back through captain Andriy Yarmolenko just before half-time. The two countries are also tied with North Macedonia but Italy occupies the automatic qualifying spot due to their head-to-head record and have a game in hand. England leads the group on 13 points.
Despite the tight scoreline, there were positive signs that Italy were beginning to adopt Spalletti’s style. Apart from a shaky period after the break, Italy dominated with free-flowing football reminiscent of Spalletti’s Serie A-winning Napoli side last season.
Italy could have won by more but they are dealing with several first-choice players missing, including Federico Chiesa. They wasted numerous chances and hit the woodwork through Manuel Locatelli. It was a vastly improved display after the disappointing 1-1 draw away to North Macedonia on Saturday. Next up Italy face Malta in Bari before a tough trip to Wembley to take on England, where they famously triumphed in the Euro 2020 final.
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.
