“With the work and the quality we have we can play it with everyone”. It is the conviction of the coach of the Italian national team Antonio Conte after the 3-1 success for the Azzurri at the Olympic stadium in Baku against hosts Azerbaijan. A victory that guarantees Italy qualification for the next European championships in France. The path of the Italian national team in these qualifying rounds for Euro 2016 will end on Tuesday at the Olimpico stadium in Rome against Norway. It will be a challenge between the first two of group H (both qualified) and the final supremacy in the group will be up for grabs. The Azzurri have two points more than Norway (21 points against 19), therefore they have two results out of three available. Just against Norway began the official journey in qualifying over a year ago with the away success for 0-2. It was Italy with Zaza and Immobile at the top.
Against Azerbaijan was, however, Italy's Eder, El Sharaawy and Pelle. The Azzurri immediately took the lead in the 11th minute with the Sampdoria native able to turn an assist from Verratti's kiss into a goal. Pellè fails to double from an excellent position in the quarter of an hour and just in the blues' best moment comes the sensational draw of the Azeris with Nazarov after an incredible mistake by the Juventus duo Bonucci-Chiellini. However, Italy did not become disunited and scored the goal before the break with a fine vertical action which ended in an empty net from Stephan El Shaarawy. In the second half, Italy legitimized the advantage with Darmian who intercepted a loose ball in the Azerbaijani trocar and killed the opposing goalkeeper.
A national team, that of Baku, with many different interpreters compared to the teams seen at the beginning of the year but which has shown that it is growing. The national coach is thinking about the next match against Norway but also and above all beyond, namely the pre-European preparation phase. “I hope to be able to work well at the end of the championship to create – said Antonio Conte – a small war machine. I want to make the Italians proud of us at the European Championship”.
In the meantime, here it is updated standings of the group of Italy one game from the end of qualifying.
Italia 21
Norway 19
Croatia 14
Bulgaria 8
Azerbaijan 6
malt 2
