Budapest, Sep 10: Italy secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Israel on Monday, maintaining their perfect record in the Nations League A Group 2.
Goals from Davide Frattesi and Moise Kean propelled Luciano Spalletti’s side to the top of the standings with six points.
After their impressive 3-1 win against France in the opening game, Italy continued their dominance, while Israel remains at the bottom of the table, yet to collect any points. France holds second place with three points, tied with Belgium, who defeated Israel 2-0 in their group encounter.
Italy took the lead just before halftime when Frattesi bundled home a close-range effort after connecting with Federico Dimarco’s cross.
Moise Kean doubled the lead in the 62nd minute, capitalizing on a rebound after Israel goalkeeper Yoav Gerafi initially saved a shot from Giacomo Raspadori.
Israel managed to pull one back in the 90th minute through Mohammed Abu Fani, who fired in from the edge of the box following a free kick. Despite the late scare, Italy held on for the victory, though they appeared less convincing than in their commanding win over France.
Spalletti made five changes to the squad, opting to start Giacomo Raspadori and Moise Kean up front in place of Lorenzo Pellegrini and Mateo Retegui. Defender Riccardo Calafiori missed the match due to a calf injury.
Frattesi, who had been a doubt before the game, played a pivotal role once again, opening the scoring and showcasing his form as Italy’s top scorer under Spalletti, with six goals since the coach took charge in August 2023.Kean’s goal sparked confidence in the Italian side, and they came close to adding a third when Sandro Tonali’s strike was ruled out for offside.
Despite Israel’s late push for an equalizer, Italy deservedly took all three points, though they showed some vulnerabilities compared to their previous match.
Israel, playing in Hungary due to security concerns, has now lost both of their opening games in their first-ever appearance in Nations League A, after earning promotion from League B last season. (Reuters)
