“What I liked was our 2nd period,” assured Italy coach Luciano Spalletti while his team conceded two goals after the break and saw North Macedonia come back to 3-2, before winning 5-2 on Friday in Rome. “For me, the best moment of this match for my team was our second half, not the first half,” he explained at a press conference. “We played well during this first period, since we led 3-0 at the break. When we returned to the locker room, I told them to be careful, but we started to be less attentive and we let them get back to 3-2,” continued the former Napoli coach.
“It’s also because we lacked physical impact due to the tactical choices I had made, but what I liked was the reaction the players had,” insisted Spalletti. “They were under pressure, they started to ask themselves questions, but they found the right answers. This is what I want to see in my teams, this is what will serve us for the future,” he noted.
Thanks to this success, Italy, reigning European champion, moved back to 2nd place in Group C with 13 points but with a better goal difference, like Ukraine, its next opponent on Monday in Leverkusen ( Germany). Italy will qualify for Euro-2024 if it beats or draws against Ukraine.