September 26, 2022, 17:38 PM
September 26, 2022, 17:38 PM
The Italian soccer team qualified for the ‘Final 4’ of the League of Nations after beating Hungary 2-0, for which a tie was enough to win the ticket, this Monday in the last day of group A3 of the continental tournament.
Giacomo Raspadori (27) and Federico Dimarco (52) they were the authors of the goals that ended the dream of Hungary, in which their captain Adam Szalai played his last minutes as an international.
In this ‘final’ played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, between two teams that will not be in the World Cup in Qatar, the Italians were superior, especially in the definition.
With this classification for the ‘Final 4’, which will be held in June next year in a venue yet to be decided, and for which Croatia and the Netherlands have already qualified, the ‘Nazionale’ obtain a slight consolation after the fiasco of being left out of a World Cup for the second time in a row.
The ‘Azzurra’ finishes with 11 pointsone more than Hungary, while Germany (7) and England (3) came without options to this last day, in which they drew 3-3 at Wembley.
“These matches are needed to return the enthusiasm, knowing that the World Cup is an open wound and that we cannot go back. We have to take off again and we have to do it all over Italy,” goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma said.
– Better in both areas –
It was not worth it to Italy with the draw to qualify for the ‘Final 4’ and the ‘Azzurra’ team came out from the beginning of the game in search of the goal.
After almost getting it on an error by local goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi (5), saved by his teammate Attila Szalai, who took the ball on the line, the Italians went ahead on the scoreboard after 27 minutes, when in an error in the exit of the ball of the Magyars, Raspadori took advantage of it to dribble the Leipzig goalkeeper and score on an empty goal.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo could widen differences before the break, but his forehand went off grazing the base of the Hungarian goal post (31).
The Central European team did not react until the final stretch of the first half, pressing higher and looking for the tie with greater decision, but on its clearest occasion, Willi Orban’s center into the small area found no auctioneer (41).
Upon returning from the locker room, Hungary had a fourfold chance for the tie (Donnarumma rejected a shot from Négo and neither Szoboszlai, nor Styles, nor Szalai took advantage of the rejections, 49) and the Italians did not forgive three minutes later.
Bryan Cristante joined from the right lane and his cross was finished off by Federico di Marco to end the dream of the Hungarians (52).
Callum Styles’ entry on the field gave the Hungarians one last push, but Donnarumma avoided any scare final with two good saves (55 and 63) to shots from the young Barnsley striker (22 years old).
