Luciano Spalletti bowed out of the Italy job with a 2-0 victory over Moldova, however Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso targets didn’t disguise the very clear the reason why he was fired.
The Azzurri went into this in a really unusual state of affairs, as , and this may be his final recreation. Accidents continued to have an effect on selections, so Luca Ranieri acquired his senior debut, with Andrea Cambiaso, Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi and Samuele Ricci stepping in. Moldova misplaced each their video games thus far, 5-0 to Norway and 3-2 to Estonia, and have been lacking suspended midfielders Vadim Rata and Maxim Cojocaru.
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REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – JUNE 09: (L-R) Luciano Spalletti head coach of Italy and Gianluigi Buffon through the FIFA 2026 Qualifier between Italy and Moldova at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on June 09, 2025 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photograph by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Photos)
Confidence was all-time low and it confirmed, particularly when Moldova had the ball within the web after 9 minutes with Oleg Reabciuk’s cross for the glancing Ion Nicolaescu header on the close to publish. Thankfully for the Nazionale, it was dominated offside by VAR.
Italy’s first actual probability got here on 17 minutes, as debutant Ranieri was inches away from a aim on his debut, the header thumping the crossbar on a Giacomo Raspadori free kick.
Nicolaescu went down underneath stress from Dimarco on the counter-attack, however not sufficient for a penalty, then fired over from a tough angle.
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Mateo Retegui turned to redirect a charged down effort from 12 yards, drawing a tough save out of the goalkeeper.
Dimarco and Retegui each scuffed finishes broad of the close to publish, however Italy lastly discovered a breakthrough when the Samuele Ricci effort was charged down, however it continued with a cross from the left knocked down by Ranieri for Jack Raspadori’s sensible half-volley from 14 yards into the close to backside nook. It was a particular second in his hometown stadium.
REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – JUNE 9: Andrea Cambiaso of Italy through the FIFA 2026 Qualifier between Italy and Moldova at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on June 09, 2025 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photograph by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Photos)
Moldova wakened and poured ahead earlier than half-time, threatening repeatedly on set performs. Gianluigi Donnarumma parried the Reabciuk scorcher and was glad to see an Artur Ionita follow-up flash throughout the face of aim.
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Dimarco wanted a goal-line clearance on the Daniel Dumbravanu free header from one other nook, whereas Nicolaescu’s header whistled simply broad.
Nonetheless, Italy doubled their benefit when substitute Riccardo Orsolini dribbled to the by-line and pulled again, Frattesi scuffed it, however solely into the trail of Cambiaso to comb in from 9 yards.
Frattesi had two consecutive strikes charged down and Orsolini blasted over from the sting of the world, whereas Tonali stung the goalkeeper’s gloves.
Frattesi ought to’ve completed higher with a scuffed end straight on the goalkeeper after an Alessandro Bastoni ball floated excessive.
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Stina fired straight at Donnarumma after pouncing on the goalkeeper’s error, whereas Lorenzo Lucca couldn’t hold his header on course in stoppages.
Moldova almost acquired a aim again on the 94th minute, however Diego Coppola threw himself within the path of Stina’s management and half-volley from seven yards.
Raspadori 43 (I), Cambiaso 50 (I)
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