We did it, but how much effort. In Skopje, Ventura's Italy beat Macedonia 3-2 on the third day of the qualifying round for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. And he does it in the most incredible way: first by making a comeback, and then completing the counter-comeback in full recovery.
The good news for the Azzurri is that both members of the coach's young attacking duo have gone. It was Belotti who opened the scoring, who at the end of the first half took advantage of a defensive amnesia from his opponents, who left him free to kick on goal in the small area directly from a cross from a corner.
In the second half, however, everything changes in two minutes. First Verratti missed a back pass giving Nestorovksi the equalizer, then the hosts even took the lead with a shot from outside Hasani on which neither the defense nor Buffon was able to close.
At that point, Ventura decides to insert Parolo and Sansone in place of Bernardeschi and Bonaventura, approaching Immobile at the door. They turn out to be decisive moves, because from that moment the Azzurri regain control of the midfield and the Lazio striker first finds the equalizing goal with a paw in front of goal, then even the winning one, in the 92nd minute, heading in a cross from Candreva .
“We made mistakes of inexperience and superficiality – commented Ventura -, but they are steps you have to accept when you focus on a group of young players. Then there was a big response after 10 minutes when we weren't a team. We crushed them in the final, also changing form. Still? He did his job brilliantly, like everyone else. Except in that dangerous empty passage”.
Italy thus manages to hang on to Spain at the top of the group, with 7 points.
