Southampton striker Graziano Pelle scored a first-half winner on his Azzurri debut as Italy scraped a 1-0 win away to 10-man Malta in their Euro 2016 qualifier on Monday.
Italy dominated from the outset at the Ta’Qali National Stadium in Malta, but ultimately failed to turn chances into goals as the hosts, who saw Michael Mifsud sent off before the half-hour mark, kept bodies in defense for long periods and sought to break on the counterattack.
Pelle’s performances in the English Premier League this season caught the eye of Italy coach Antonio Conte, who lined the striker up alongside Ciro Immobile in the hope that his powerful physique would provide extra options up front.
Pelle was a constant threat in Malta’s box and saw a first-half header smack off the crossbar from one of several inviting crosses by ACF Fiorentina midfielder Manuel Pasquale.
As early as the first minute, Immobile flashed a shot just wide of Andrew Hogg’s upright after latching onto Antonio Candreva’s cross.
Italy were frustrated for the opening quarter-hour, but the hosts gave Gianluigi Buffon a scare when Giorgio Chiellini, who scored all three goals including an own-goal in a 2-1 win over Azerbaijan on Friday, gave away a free-kick on the right.
The ball was whipped into the area and as Mifsud fell under a challenge from Leonardo Bonucci, it rolled out to Clayton Failla, whose deflected daisycutter went just wide of Buffon’s far post.
However, Italy were soon back in command and Pelle’s powerful header from Pasquale’s delivery came back off the crossbar, with Chiellini’s header from the resulting corner also hitting the woodwork.
On 21 minutes, Pelle chested a ball into the path of Claudio Marchisio, but the Juventus midfielder’s first-timer went straight to Hogg.
Italy took a deserved lead moments later, although Pelle’s maiden Azzurri goal was a tame poke from close range after the ball fell kindly in the box from Bonucci’s header following a Pasquale corner.
Malta’s hopes suffered a blow before the half-hour when star striker Mifsud saw red for a clumsy studs-up challenge on Alessandro Florenzi that left the AS Roma forward writhing on the ground.
After the break, the visitors struggled to find a way through a Malta defense that at times was seven-strong. Immobile got his head to Marco Verratti’s floated cross from the right, only to see his effort go straight at Hogg.
The game turned momentarily in Malta’s favor when Bonucci saw red for blocking Andre Schembri with his arm as the Frankfurt midfielder ran on to a loose ball from a Chiellini howler, but they failed to find the equalizer.
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