Rome
Italy secured their second consecutive victory in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers with a dominant 4-0 win against Malta, highlighted by Domenico Berardi’s impressive brace in Bari. However, the Azzurri’s triumph was overshadowed by a betting scandal that led to the removal of Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo from the squad, pending investigations by the police. Head coach Luciano Spalletti opted for a 4-3-3 formation, with the experienced Giacomo Bonaventura earning his place in the midfield. Giacomo Raspadori, Moise Kean, and Berardi formed the attacking trident. From the opening whistle, the home side displayed their aggressiveness. Manuel Locatelli narrowly missed the target with a powerful strike, and center-back Gianluca Mancini’s header struck the woodwork. The defending champions eventually broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, when Bonaventura collected the ball in the box, executed a brilliant turn, and smashed in a blockbuster, marking his maiden international goal. Berardi extended Italy’s lead just before halftime, receiving a pass from Nicolo Barella and finishing with a superb left-footed curler. Italy continued their dominance after the break and secured their third goal in the 64th minute when Kean failed to connect with Raspadori’s pass, but Berardi made no mistake as he blasted it into the net. Substitute Davide Frattesi added to the scoreline in the final minutes. With this victory, Italy maintained their second place in Group C with 10 points, trailing England by three points. The two teams are now gearing up for a crucial head-to-head clash at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday.
