Malta Line-up (3-5-2): Bonello (GK), Apap, Borg (C), Attard, Mbong, Muscat, Guillaumier, Yannick, Corbalan, Satariano, Jones.
Bench: Camenzuli, Micallef, P. Mbong, Nwoko, Teuma, Paiber, Grech, Formosa, Brown, Kristensen, Dimech, Muscat.
Italy Line-up (4-3-3): Donnarumma (GK, C). Emerson. Romangoli, Scalvini, Di Lorenzo, Tonali, Cristante, Pessina, Gnonto, Retegui, Politano.
Bench: Carnesecchi, Meret, Toloi, Spinazzola, Darmian, Verratti, Grifo, Jorginho, Scamacca, Berardi, Acerbi, Frattesi.
Goals: (0-1) Retegui 15’, (0-2) Pessina 27’
Despite Italy’s supremacy, it was the home side who had the earliest chance.
Malta’s Alexander Satariano went close in the fifth minute after having been put through on goal by Joseph Mbong.
The striker’s shot was on target but was met by a strong reflex save by Donnarumma to keep the game level.
Italy’s first goal came on the quarter of the hour mark, when Retegui was left in acres of space during an Italy corner.
The ball was beautifully whipped in by Tonali, however Malta would be disappointed not to have had a player marking Retegui, or at least one on the back post.
The second goal came courtesy of Pessina, who simply had to finish Emerson’s low cross from point blank range.
Malta’s goalkeeper had come out to collect the ball but didn’t get to it in time, so Pessina’s finish was into an empty net.
The win has temporarily moved Italy up to second place, however North Macedonia and Ukraine have each played one game fewer.
Italy manager Roberto Mancini would be satisfied with the result after claiming his side had “everything to lose” before kick-off.
