World Cup Qualifying - European - Group G
ItalyItaly5LiechtensteinLiechtenstein0

Italy 5-0 Liechtenstein

Lorenzo Insigne
Lorenzo Insigne's opening goal was the pick of the bunch for Italy

Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini scored as Italy thrashed Liechtenstein 5-0 to remain level on points with group leaders Spain.

Italy had 37 shots in a dominant performance but were frustrated until they scored three late goals.

Manager Giampiero Ventura said: "The first half was useful because it taught us that if you try to do too much, you end up doing nothing.

"Everything went well in the second half when our play was more lucid."

Man of the match Lorenzo Insigne gave Italy the lead with a superb goal, flicking a cross up on to his chest before firing in off the post.

Napoli forward Insigne played Andrea Belotti through to score the second, before substitute Eder volleyed in the third.

Federico Bernardeschi, another substitute, added the fourth with a long-range shot and Gabbiadini turned in Leonardo Spinazzolo's pass for his first international goal since 2015.

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon did not have to make one save in his 169th appearance as he moved to fifth in the all-time list of international caps.

Italy and Spain both have 16 points, but with only the group winners guaranteed a place at next year's finals in Russia, one of the European giants are set to be in the play-offs.

Report: Macedonia 1-2 Spain

Line-ups

Italy

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1Buffon
  • 4Darmian
  • 15Barzagli
  • 3Chiellini
  • 7Spinazzola
  • 6CandrevaSubstituted forBernardeschiat 60'minutes
  • 5Pellegrini
  • 16De Rossi
  • 10Insigne
  • 9BelottiSubstituted forGabbiadiniat 75'minutes
  • 11ImmobileSubstituted forÉderat 67'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Conti
  • 8Gagliardini
  • 12G Donnarumma
  • 13Astori
  • 14Scuffet
  • 17Éder
  • 18Montolivo
  • 19Bonucci
  • 20Bernardeschi
  • 21D'Ambrosio
  • 22El Shaarawy
  • 23Gabbiadini

Liechtenstein

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 1Jehle
  • 6Rechsteiner
  • 15Malin
  • 17Gubser
  • 3Goppel
  • 23PolverinoBooked at 44minsSubstituted forQuintansat 87'minutes
  • 19SalanovicSubstituted forBrändleat 60'minutes
  • 18Hasler
  • 13Büchel
  • 11BurgmeierSubstituted forWolfingerat 68'minutes
  • 22Frick

Substitutes

  • 2Brändle
  • 4Hofer
  • 5Quintans
  • 7Wolfinger
  • 8Sele
  • 9Meier
  • 10Foser
  • 12Hobi
  • 14Oehri
  • 16Erne
  • 20Wolfinger
  • 21Buchel
Referee:
Kevin Clancy
Attendance:
20,514

Match Stats

Home TeamItalyAway TeamLiechtenstein
Possession
Home71%
Away29%
Shots
Home37
Away4
Shots on Target
Home13
Away0
Corners
Home14
Away2
Fouls
Home12
Away6

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Italy 5, Liechtenstein 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Italy 5, Liechtenstein 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt saved. Éder (Italy) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Daniele De Rossi with a through ball.

  4. Post update

    Attempt missed. Yanik Frick (Liechtenstein) right footed shot from long range on the left is high and wide to the right from a direct free kick.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Matteo Darmian (Italy).

  6. Post update

    Maximilian Goppel (Liechtenstein) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  7. Post update

    Giorgio Chiellini (Italy) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Nicolas Hasler (Liechtenstein).

  9. Goal!

    Goal! Italy 5, Liechtenstein 0. Manolo Gabbiadini (Italy) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Leonardo Spinazzola.

  10. Post update

    Daniele De Rossi (Italy) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Martin Büchel (Liechtenstein).

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Liechtenstein. Ivan Quintans replaces Michele Polverino.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Éder (Italy).

  14. Post update

    Michele Polverino (Liechtenstein) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  15. Post update

    Attempt missed. Giorgio Chiellini (Italy) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Federico Bernardeschi with a cross following a corner.

  16. Post update

    Corner, Italy. Conceded by Andreas Malin.

  17. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Éder (Italy) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lorenzo Insigne.

  18. Post update

    Corner, Italy. Conceded by Sandro Wolfinger.

  19. Goal!

    Goal! Italy 4, Liechtenstein 0. Federico Bernardeschi (Italy) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Giorgio Chiellini.

  20. Post update

    Attempt missed. Lorenzo Insigne (Italy) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Andrea Barzagli.

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Sweden6411124813
2France6411115613
3Netherlands6312136710
4Bulgaria6303912-39
5Belarus6123411-75
6Luxembourg6015617-111

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Switzerland6600123918
2Portugal65012231915
3Hungary62138717
4Faroe Islands6123210-85
5Andorra6114213-114
6Latvia6105212-103

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Germany66002712618
2Northern Ireland6411112913
3Czech Rep62319549
4Azerbaijan621339-67
5Norway6114610-44
6San Marino6006130-290

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Serbia6330137612
2Republic of Ireland633084412
3Wales61509548
4Austria62229818
5Georgia6033610-43
6Moldova6024415-112

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Poland6510157816
2Montenegro6312147710
3Denmark6312106410
4Romania61327706
5Armenia6204714-76
6Kazakhstan6024416-122

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1England6420102814
2Slovakia6402124812
3Slovenia632163311
4Scotland6222910-18
5Lithuania6123611-55
6Malta6006215-130

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Spain65102131816
2Italy65101841416
3Albania630378-19
4Israel6303912-39
5North Macedonia6105813-53
6Liechtenstein6006124-230

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Belgium65102422216
2Greece6330103712
3Bos-Herze6321135811
4Cyprus621359-47
5Estonia6114517-124
6Gibraltar6006324-210

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Croatia6411112913
2Iceland641196313
3Turkey6321116511
4Ukraine632195411
5Finland6015410-61
6Kosovo6015318-151
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