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Agence France Presse
Oct 12 2012
Italy gain morale-boosting win in Armenia
(AFP)
YEREVAN - Italy reinforced their lead at the top of their 2014 World
Cup qualifying group with a morale-boosting 3-1 win away to Armenia on
Friday.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli had called for commitment against the
hosts having shown little of their World Cup credentials in a 2-2 draw
to Bulgaria and a laboured 2-0 win over Malta.
And the Azzurri coach was buoyed after goals from Andrea Pirlo and
Roma pair Daniele De Rossi and Pablo Osvaldo proved too much for a
spirited Armenian side.
"We struggled to get things going at times, but overall I'm
satisfied," said Prandelli, whose side face Denmark on Tuesday.
"I can't say this enough, this is a tough group. But we played a great
game and showed some character."
After three of their 10 qualifiers Italy sit top of Group B on seven
points with a three-point lead on the Czech Republic and Bulgaria,
both of whom have played a game less.
Juventus midfielder Pirlo, who put in a solid all-round performance
before his substitution near the end of the game, gave Italy a 13th
minute lead from the penalty spot following a handball in the area.
The hosts were not to be outdone, however, and took the game to the
Azzurri throughout and regularly exposed a defence which Prandelli
must have some concerns about.
Their persistence paid off when Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh
Mkhitaryan dribbled his way past the Italian defence to send the ball
past Gianluigi Buffon into the net for a 27th minute equaliser.
The goal, however, was controversial as it came immediately after a
clash of heads between Christian Maggio and Davit Manoyan. Referee
Marijo Strahonja failed to stop play.
"When two players collide heads, you stop play. The referee didn't do
it and that's why I protested," added Prandelli.
In the second half Prandelli had little cause for complaint, save for
seeing Juventus midfielder Sebastian Giovinco send his close-range
effort fly over the bar when he should have scored.
Italy were also denied a second penalty after an apparent handball by
Karlen Lazarian following a curling freekick from Pirlo.
Armenia then narrowly missed taking the lead when Buffon produced a
spectacular one-handed save to keep out Yura Movsisyan's first-timer
after Mkhitaryan had left the defence for dead.
Italy finally pulled in front when De Rossi got his head to a superb
curling freekick from Pirlo.
However only the late intervention of Christian Maggio saved Italy's
blushes when, after Leonardo Bonucci had lost the ball to Mkhitaryan,
he slid in to divert Movsisyan's goal-bound effort.
El Shaarawy's close-range effort was then blocked on 80 minutes, but
after Osvaldo had chased down the rebound and won a freekick the
Argentine-born striker got his head to De Rossi's freekick to put the
match beyond reach.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Oct 12 2012
Italy gain morale-boosting win in Armenia
(AFP)
YEREVAN - Italy reinforced their lead at the top of their 2014 World
Cup qualifying group with a morale-boosting 3-1 win away to Armenia on
Friday.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli had called for commitment against the
hosts having shown little of their World Cup credentials in a 2-2 draw
to Bulgaria and a laboured 2-0 win over Malta.
And the Azzurri coach was buoyed after goals from Andrea Pirlo and
Roma pair Daniele De Rossi and Pablo Osvaldo proved too much for a
spirited Armenian side.
"We struggled to get things going at times, but overall I'm
satisfied," said Prandelli, whose side face Denmark on Tuesday.
"I can't say this enough, this is a tough group. But we played a great
game and showed some character."
After three of their 10 qualifiers Italy sit top of Group B on seven
points with a three-point lead on the Czech Republic and Bulgaria,
both of whom have played a game less.
Juventus midfielder Pirlo, who put in a solid all-round performance
before his substitution near the end of the game, gave Italy a 13th
minute lead from the penalty spot following a handball in the area.
The hosts were not to be outdone, however, and took the game to the
Azzurri throughout and regularly exposed a defence which Prandelli
must have some concerns about.
Their persistence paid off when Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh
Mkhitaryan dribbled his way past the Italian defence to send the ball
past Gianluigi Buffon into the net for a 27th minute equaliser.
The goal, however, was controversial as it came immediately after a
clash of heads between Christian Maggio and Davit Manoyan. Referee
Marijo Strahonja failed to stop play.
"When two players collide heads, you stop play. The referee didn't do
it and that's why I protested," added Prandelli.
In the second half Prandelli had little cause for complaint, save for
seeing Juventus midfielder Sebastian Giovinco send his close-range
effort fly over the bar when he should have scored.
Italy were also denied a second penalty after an apparent handball by
Karlen Lazarian following a curling freekick from Pirlo.
Armenia then narrowly missed taking the lead when Buffon produced a
spectacular one-handed save to keep out Yura Movsisyan's first-timer
after Mkhitaryan had left the defence for dead.
Italy finally pulled in front when De Rossi got his head to a superb
curling freekick from Pirlo.
However only the late intervention of Christian Maggio saved Italy's
blushes when, after Leonardo Bonucci had lost the ball to Mkhitaryan,
he slid in to divert Movsisyan's goal-bound effort.
El Shaarawy's close-range effort was then blocked on 80 minutes, but
after Osvaldo had chased down the rebound and won a freekick the
Argentine-born striker got his head to De Rossi's freekick to put the
match beyond reach.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress