Last year's tournament winners, Italy, rallied to beat Ukraine, who are pushing for a place in the Europa League, 2-1 thanks to a stunning performance from their rising midfield star in a key Group C clash in the early hours of Wednesday morning (13th). The victory was also the first for new manager Spaletti since he took over, while the 23-year-old midfielder Faddis became an overnight sensation and a key force in the rebuilding of the Italian team.
In the last Europa League qualifier, Italy drew 1-1 with Northern Macedonia away from home, and the qualifying situation became precarious. Coupled with a number of injuries in the squad, Spalletti had to make a number of changes for the game, including bringing Faddis into the starting lineup. The youngster, who joined Inter on loan from Sassuolo this summer, scored twice in just 29 minutes.
Although Ukraine's Jermolango equalized late in the first half to bring the score to 1-2, neither side could get anything going in the second half and Italy held on for the win. Italy have now won two, drawn one and lost one of their four matches, and are tied with Ukraine and North Macedonia on seven points, six behind England at the top of the table. With Italy having played one game less, they have an advantage in the race for the top two spots.
The hero of the victory, Faddis, is enjoying a surge in popularity, and in fact, the rising star was already in fine form last season with Sassuolo, scoring seven goals in 36 league appearances. He even scored a crucial goal to help Italy beat the Netherlands in the UEFA Europa League third-place game in June. Inter Milan signed Faddis on a rent-and-buy deal in the summer to fill the void left by departed player Bossovic.
