In a bumpy football game, Italy scored a win against Israel on the way to the 2026 World Cup. The “Squadra Azzurra” thus consolidated second place in the table, which entitles them to take part in the playoffs. The Italians won 3-0 (1-0) on Tuesday evening in the game in Udine, which was accompanied by pro-Palestinian protests.
The man of the evening was Mateo Retegui, who scored with a penalty before the break (45th + 2) and with a curled shot after the break (74th). Gianluca Mancini increased the score to a flattering 3-0 in stoppage time (90+4). The league leaders are Norway, who have won six games in their six games so far and have an impressive goal difference of 29:3.
Israel courageous, Italy without ideas
The Italians under coach Gennaro Cattuso seemed out of ideas in the first half of the game. But when Israel Matan Baltaxa hit Mateo Retegui on the foot in the penalty area shortly before the half-time whistle, the experienced referee Clément Turpin quickly awarded a penalty. The fouled man stepped up and gave keeper Omri Glazer no chance.
It was also Retegui who redeemed Italy deep in the second half. The hosts also had a hard time in the second half and were lucky in the 59th minute, especially with keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who cleared well against Oscar Gloukh. But after a mistake in the build-up to the game, the center forward grabbed the ball on the left and fired a remarkable shot into the right crease. In stoppage time, Mancini increased on a pass from Dimarco.
Italy missed the World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022 and now has to avoid another fiasco. The Italians have not made it past the group stage of a World Cup since winning the title in 2006.
10,000 protesters turn the game into a crash High security game
Around 10,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested in Udine on Tuesday against the hosting of the game. 1,000 police officers, supported by helicopters and drones, kept the crowd away from the Stadio Friuli, which was significantly less than half full. In the city center of the northeastern Italian city, the authorities significantly increased security measures on match day.