On Monday, Italy cruised to a 4-1 home victory over Israel in their Nations League clash. Thanks to a brace from defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Luciano Spalletti’s squad is now on the verge of reaching the quarterfinals. This dominant performance puts Italy at the summit of League A Group Two with ten points, edging out France—who beat Belgium 2-1—by a single point. To officially secure their spot in the next stage, Italy just needs to pick up at least one point from their remaining games.
Italy spent the first 40 minutes fighting for an opening, finally breaking the deadlock just before halftime when Mateo Retegui slotted a penalty into the top corner. The momentum carried into the second half, where Di Lorenzo connected with a precise free-kick from Giacomo Raspadori to make it 2-0. Israel briefly fought back in the 66th minute, scoring from a well-executed corner by Mohammed Abu Fani. However, Italy responded quickly: Federico Dimarco assisted Davide Frattesi for the third goal, and Di Lorenzo put the game beyond doubt with a low strike from the edge of the area.
This match marked Israel's first game of the year played outside of neutral territory in Hungary. Due to the ongoing conflict with Hamas, security in Udine was incredibly tight, with snipers stationed on the stadium roof and a heavy police presence across the city. The atmosphere in Udine was tense, as the fixture took place against a backdrop of persistent violence in the Middle East, which has recently expanded into Lebanon.
From the kickoff, Italy controlled the tempo and dominated possession, though Israel nearly shocked them early on when Oscar Gloukh missed a promising chance from the edge of the box. Israel's keeper, Omri Glazer, also stood tall, denying Retegui with two impressive close-range saves. Despite the keeper's efforts, Italy eventually broke through right before the interval after Dor Peretz fouled Sandro Tonali, earning the Azzurri a penalty that Retegui converted.
Italy extended their lead in the 54th minute when Di Lorenzo headed home a free-kick from Raspadori, the ball bouncing off the keeper and inside the post. Although Israel managed to score a goal against the flow of the game after a VAR review, it didn't rattle Italy. The hosts grew more confident, with Frattesi netting a low, first-time shot in the 72nd minute to make it 3-1, followed by Di Lorenzo's final goal seven minutes later to wrap things up.
Since debuting against Lithuania in September 2021, Di Lorenzo has now tallied five international goals, while his defensive teammate Dimarco has contributed three. Meanwhile, Israel finds themselves at the bottom of the group without a single point, struggling to adapt after being promoted to the top-tier League A.
\"The team showed great spirit in the first half; we caught them off guard several times with Di Lorenzo finding Retegui,\" Spalletti remarked to the press. \"Even though space was limited, the frequency with which we threatened the goalkeeper proves the boys played a fantastic match.\" Following the defeat, Israel's coach Ran Ben Shimon noted, \"Spalletti's influence on this team is obvious. When they play with this level of cohesion, they are incredibly difficult to stop.\"
Italy's upcoming schedule sees them travel to face Domenico Tedesco's Belgium on November 15, followed by a high-stakes home finale against France on November 18.
In other Nations League news, Germany has officially booked its place in the quarterfinals. The victory was sealed by Jamie Leweling, who had a perfect international debut, scoring the only goal in a gritty 1-0 win over the Netherlands in Group A3.