Retegui brace keeps Italy's World Cup hopes alive
Mateo Retegui's double helped Italy to at least a play-off spot for next year's World Cup as it secured a 3-0 win over Israel.
The teams played out an enthralling nine-goal thriller in the reverse fixture, but Italy held out for a not-together-all-convincing win to continue Gennaro Gattuso's fine start in the dugout.
Israel was given a couple of early warnings as Retegui sent an effort wide before Andrea Cambiaso rifled a powerful effort just past Omri Glazer's post shortly after.
But the visitor stepped up the pressure, with Oscar Gloukh sending Gianluigi Donnarumma scrambling with his narrowly off-target effort before the goalkeeper was called into action to deny Manor Solomon.
Italy got its breakthrough on the stroke of half-time, though. It came from the penalty spot, after Mata Baltaxa went through the back of Retegui in the box, with the striker making no mistake from 12 yards.
The Azzurri were then denied a second, with Cambiaso's volley hitting the back of the net just before the offside flag went up against him.
Retegui doubled up in the 74th minute. He won back possession on the left flank before cutting inside and curling a stunning strike into the far-top corner.
Solomon struck the post shortly after, but Gianluca Mancini made sure of the three points in the third minute of stoppage time as he turned Federico Dimarco's cross in, with Italy sitting three points behind Norway in Group I, with each team having two games left to play.
