Italy Triumphs With Late Goals To Defeat Moldova 2-0 In World Cup Qualifying Match

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Italy secured a 2-0 victory against Moldova in their World Cup qualifying match, although their chances of overtaking Norway for the top spot remain slim. Norway's earlier 4-1 win over Estonia left Italy three points behind and with a much lower goal difference. To avoid play-offs, Italy would need to beat Norway by nine goals in their upcoming final match.

Gianluca Scamacca had an early attempt deflected wide, while Gianluca Mancini missed a close-range opportunity. Moldova nearly scored against the run of play, but Virgiliu Postolachi's effort was off target. Riccardo Orsolini and Bryan Cristante also came close in a goalless first half. Ioan-Calin Revenco's crucial block denied Andrea Cambiaso after the break.

In the 88th minute, Mancini finally broke the deadlock by heading in Federico Dimarco's cross. Just four minutes later, Matteo Politano's excellent work on the right set up Francesco Pio Esposito to seal the win with another header. Despite this late triumph, Italy's qualification hopes remain uncertain.

Italy struggled to break down Moldova’s defence despite having 0.97 expected goals (xG) in the first half. Moldova held just 17.7% possession during this period. The pattern persisted into the second half as Italy ended with an xG of 2.59 compared to Moldova’s 0.41. Ultimately, Mancini and Esposito capitalised on their opportunities to secure the win.

This victory marked Gennaro Gattuso as only the third Italian manager to win his first five matches in charge, joining Edmondo Fabbri and Azeglio Vicini from previous decades. While Italy may face play-offs again, this result offers some encouragement for their future efforts in World Cup qualification campaigns.