Mario Balotelli came off the bench to save Italy`s blushes in a 2-2 draw with Armenia which threatened to end in the hosts` first defeat of a successful World Cup qualifying campaign on Tuesday.
|Last Updated: Oct 16, 2013, 11:15 AM IST|Source: AFP
Napoli: Mario Balotelli came off the bench to save Italy`s blushes in a 2-2 draw with Armenia which threatened to end in the hosts` first defeat of a successful World Cup qualifying campaign on Tuesday.
Four-time champions Italy had qualified for Brazil 2014 with two games to spare but four days after a 2-2 draw away to Denmark, Cesare Prandelli`s men looked to be heading for a first Group B defeat until Balotelli`s late leveller.
Armenia, who were battling for a possible runner-up finish, started brightly and took a shock lead at the San Paolo.
Two minutes after pouncing on a mistake by Davide Astori, Armenia striker Yura Movsisyan intercepted an Alberto Aquilani back pass towards Astori to run through on goal and beat number two Italy `keeper Federico Marchetti.
Alessandro Florenzi levelled for the hosts when he found a gap in the Armenia defence to coolly head Lorenzo Insigne`s cross from the left past Roman Berezovskiy on 24 minutes.
A largely experimental Italy were creating plenty up front, but leaving gaping holes at the back.
Marchetti was given warning again when Henrikh Mkhitaryan burst past Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci only to send his effort across the face of goal and the Italy keeper then had to smothered Aras Ozbiliz`s effort.
Insigne was the first Napoli player to represent Italy at the Serie A club`s home ground in 23 years and came close to capping that achievement with a stunning goal at the end of the half.
He left his marker behind with a cool backheel flick which he drove towards the far post, only for his effort to go just wide, then saw a spectacular volley go just off target.
Balotelli replaced Pablo Osvaldo ten minutes after the restart and did well to set up Insigne, with Berezovskiy parrying the Napoli forward`s effort.
Italy`s defence finally collapsed in the 70th minute when Henrikh Mkhitaryan powered a header past Marchetti and saw the ball bounce off the crossbar and goalline to give Armenia a 2-1 lead.
Prandelli replaced Aquilani with Giuseppe Rossi on 70 minutes to hand the Fiorentina striker his first cap since October 2011.
Minutes later Balotelli turned on Andrea Pirlo`s weighted pass from midfield to beat Berezovskiy and hand Italy a lifeline.
Balotelli sent a rasping drive just wide of the Berezovskiy`s goal on 82 minutes and had the ball in the net minutes later after heading home Insigne`s cross, only for it to be chalked off for an infringement moments earlier.
In the final minute of injury time Balotelli had the fans on their feet when he held off several defenders on a long run into the area, only to see his angled shot go under Berezovskiy and inches past the keeper`s far post.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.