The first one had gone badly. Because Spalletti’s Italy had drawn 1-1 against North Macedoniaa sort of scarecrow after the elimination of Palermo the previous year. A draw that forced a win against Ukraine, three days later, on September 12, 2023. San Siro has never lost, but experienced the incredible farewell to the 2018 World Cup, with the 0-0 against Sweden that made the elimination official after the 1-0 of the first leg in Solna.
Winning, just winning. Otherwise it would have been very complicated on the way back. Italy makes it with a brace from Davide Frattesi, in particular with a first half that seems really sparkling. At the thirtieth minute the score is 2-0 and it seems that there are no further problems to take it home, also thanks to an excellent goal difference in the direct clash that would be an extraordinary advantage for the possible return match – which will be played in Germany two months later – but a huge mistake in the defensive phase allows Yarmolenko to score from two steps, with an empty net, three minutes from the end of the first half.
Some ghosts hover in the second halfthe arm comes in, even if it is easier for Italy to score the third than for Ukraine to manage to equalize. It will end 2-1, with a very long sigh of relief for Spalletti who can at least make a misstep – he will do it in England, at Wembley, losing 3-1 – and play it all at the BayArena in Leverkusen.