November 18, (THEWILL) – The Italian national football earned a crucial 5-2 victory over North Macedonia in Rome on Friday night to keep their automatic qualification hopes for Euro 2024 alive.
Led by a brace from Juventus forward, Federico Chiesa, the Azzurri jumped out to a commanding 3-0 half-time lead. However, North Macedonia substitute Jani Antonov scored two second half goals to cut the deficit to 3-2 and put Italy on edge in front of their home fans.
Antonov’s goals conjured up haunting memories of the shocking loss to North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying last year that forced Italy into a playoff. However, late goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Stephan El Shaarawy finally secured the three points for Italy.
The win moves Italy into second place in their Euro 2024 qualifying group. They can now clinch automatic qualification with just a draw in their final match against Ukraine next week.
After missing out on the World Cup, Italy and manager Luciano Spalletti will be relieved to control their own destiny once again. But they made life difficult for themselves by letting a comfortable lead slip away briefly in the second half.
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.
