By Anna Italia
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Italian Soccer Serie A
27% Ball Possession NORTH MACEDONIA and 73% Ball Possession ITALY
North Macedonia 1 – 1 Italy 
80′ Enis Bardhi 47′ Ciro Immobile
Italy ended the UEFA European Qualifiers Group C with a draw against North Macedonia on Saturday 9 September 2023 at the National Arena Todor Proeski in Skopje, North Macedonia. It’s the debut of Italian Head Coach Luciano Spalletti. We might say this is not a brilliant performance from Spalletti’s first match. Italy found the advantage at the start of the second half with forward Ciro Immobile, who was quick to put Barella’s cross into the net and then dropped the ball, giving the Macedonians a field and courage who took advantage by impacting Bardhi with a nice free kick from the edge.
A result that complicates the Azzurri’s path to qualifying for Euro 2024. Previously, Italy has lost three of their last five matches (W2), as many defeats as those suffered by the Azzurri in the 13 previous matches (W6, D4).
Italy returned in the second half determined to win. In the 47th minute, Captain Ciro Immobile defeated North Macedonia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski with a headed shot to the bottom right corner.
👉 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 0 – 1 Italy 🇮🇹, 47th minute, ⚽️ goal by Ciro Immobile for @Azzurri_En with a headed shot to the bottom right corner. https://t.co/ZbfLDH3AXk
— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) September 9, 2023
Ciro Immobile scores! The Spalletti era is underway! pic.twitter.com/Stsg1utMcQ
— Italian Football News 🇮🇹 (@footitalia1) September 9, 2023
Tough! In the 80th minute, North Macedonia equalized for the 1-1. Enis Bardhi defeated Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with a right footed free kick shot to the bottom right corner.
👉 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 1 – 1 Italy 🇮🇹, 80th minute, ⚽️ goal by Enis Bardhi equalized for North Macedonia with a right footed free kick shot to the bottom right corner. https://t.co/QAdHkAdZAK pic.twitter.com/Gt5ZvOYHco
— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) September 9, 2023
🏆👉 Lineup NORTH MACEDONIA (3-5-1-1): Dimitrievski – Manev, Musliu, Zajkov – Ahskovski, Elezi, Bardhi, Atanasov, Alioski – Elmas – Miovski.
🏆👉 Lineup ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma – Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco – Barella, Cristante, Tonali – Politano, Immobile, Zaccagni.
Stats before the game: Perfectly equal results in the three matches between North Macedonia and Italy, all staged in the World Cup qualifiers (two in view of the 2018 tournament and one in 2022): one victory each and a draw to complete the picture. After remaining unbeaten in the first two matches against North Macedonia (1W, 1D) – the first of these played in Skopje and won by the Azzurri 3-2, on 9 October 2016, with a goal from Belotti and a brace from Immobile – Italy lost their most recent match, on March 24, 2022, 0-1, in the World Cup qualifying playoffs. Italy has conceded exactly two goals in four of the last five matches played, including friendlies, keeping a clean sheet only once, in the 2-0 success against Malta on 26 March in qualifying for the 2024 European Championships. Furthermore, the The Azzurri have not conceded at least two goals in three consecutive matches since the period between July and September 2012 (Cesare Prandelli on the bench). Italy has lost only one of the last 42 European Championship qualifying matches (35W, 6D): the 1-2 match against England on March 23rd, in which Mateo Retegui scored the first goal for the Azzurri.
Head Coach Luciano Spalletti making his debut with the Italian National Team. All the best! https://t.co/FaeWTDnfYC
— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) September 9, 2023
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📺 Click the video to watch North Macedonia 1 – 1 Italy highlights on Saturday 9 September 2023
Photo via twitter.com/MacedonianFoot_
Photo via twitter.com/Azzurri_En
Photo via twitter.com/Azzurri_En
📸📸📸#MacedoniaDelNordItalia#Nazionale 🇮🇹 #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/hlE8obPZIm
— Nazionale Italiana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri) September 9, 2023
🏆👉First half is over. 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 0 – 0 Italy 🇮🇹
⚽️ Goals: 0
🟨 Booked: 0Corners: Macedonia 1, Italy 3
Saves: Macedonia 1, Italy 1✍ Ball Possession: 20% North Macedonia and 80% @Azzurri_En
✅ https://t.co/G8ZgiKqbRZ@SerieASitdown @TheCalcioGuys @ItaFootPod https://t.co/JVY14FIk3a
— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) September 9, 2023
🏆👉Result 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 1 – 1 Italy 🇮🇹
⚽️ Goals: 47′ Ciro Immobile (I), 80′ Enis Bardhi (NM)
🟨 Booked: Macedonia 2, Italy 3
✍ Ball Possession: 27% North Macedonia and 73% @Azzurri_En
✅ https://t.co/G8ZgiKqbRZ@TheCalcioGuys @SerieASitdown @footitalia1 @ItaFootPod https://t.co/UTXsBf5VBM
— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) September 9, 2023
Photo via twitter.com/Azzurri_En
2023-2024 UEFA EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS
North Macedonia 1 – 1 Italy
Saturday 9 September 2023
National Arena Todor Proeski
Skopje, North Macedonia
20:45
Referee: Letexier (Francia)
Assistants: Zakrani e Rahmouni (Francia)
Fourth Official: Dechepy (Francia)
VAR: Brisard (Francia)
AVAR: Wattellir (Francia)
Goals: 47′ Ciro Immobile (I), 80′ Enis Bardhi (NM)
🟨 Booked: 68′ Jovan Manev (M), 70′ Federico Dimarco (I), 75′ Sandro Tonali (I), 79′ Nicolò Zaniolo (I), 88′ Isnik Alimi (M)
Official lineups – formations – tabellino:
🏆👉 Lineup NORTH MACEDONIA (4-2-3-1): Dimitrievski; Manev, Musliu (78′ Serafimov), Zajkov, Alioski; Ashkovski (74′ Dimoski), Bardhi; Elezi (74′ Alimi), Atanasov (86′ Iljazovski), Elmas; Miovski.
Subs.: Aleksovski, Shiskovski, Ademi, Trajkovski, Doriev, Dav. Babunski, M.Ristovski, Dimoski, Nestorovski.
Head Coach: Milevski
🏆👉 Lineup ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini (57′ Scalvini), Bastoni, Dimarco (82′ Biraghi); Barella, Cristante, Tonali (88′ Raspadori); Politano (45′ Zaniolo), Immobile, Zaccagni (82′ Gnonto).
Subs.: Vicario, Meret, Locatelli, Romagnoli, Retegui, Raspadori, Darmian, Frattesi.
Head Coach: Luciano Spalletti