GIOVINCO! The pint-sized forward has been electric off the bench, and he cracks a 25-yarder onto the woodwork! That could have wrapped it up for good, and it would have been a deserved goal for the substitute.
88'
Zaza is booked for persistent fouling. The Sassuolo man has been battling with the centre backs all game, and has finally drawn the ire of the referee. Not long left now.
87'
S. Zaza gets yellow.
86'
V. Nadirov enters the game and replaces R. Əmirquliyev.
Giovinco whips in another dangerous delivery towards the far post that is headed away. The ball is worked back in, but Zaza is called for a foul on Agayev, moments before the ball is turned home. The referee rules it out immediately.
84'
R. Sadıqov gets yellow.
So for the third time this evening, Chiellini has found the back of the net. Incredible stuff here at the Renzo Barbera. The Juve defender is as relieved as anyone! Italy look to have avoided a banana peel.
82'
G. Chiellini has scored a goal for Italy! Assist by S. Giovinco.
CHIELLINI AGAIN! ITALY LEAD! He can't stop scoring! Giovinco does excellently to loft in a glorious cross towards the far post, where the defender is waiting to force a header into the back of the net!
81'
A. Candreva enters the game and replaces M. Darmian.
Well, Italy's inability to create more cutting edge to their play has come back to haunt them. There will be no hiding place for Conte's men if Azerbaijan manage to pull this off.
Final change from Conte, as Darmian jogs off for Antonio Candreva. This looks like Italy will now shift to a back four, providing more bodies in attack, with the two full backs expected to camp forward.
79'
What a huge disaster for Italy at the back. Buffon was as meek as a mouse on that play when he should have been all over that corner in the air. Chiellini reacted too late, and has now scored at both ends.
77'
S. Giovinco enters the game and replaces A. Florenzi.
G. Chiellini is unfortunate, scores an own goal!
IT'S GONE IN! AZERBAIJAN ARE LEVEL! What a shocker! The corner comes in, Buffon flails at it and under pressure at the far post, Chiellini bundles it over his own line!
Minute
Description
76'
Half a chance for Nazarov during an Italy mixup at the back. Aliyev does well to win the ball off Ranocchia, and he plays it wide to the winger, who sees his attempt blocked out for a corner.
75'
Pirlo departs to a standing ovation and Alberto Aquilani comes on. He did his job tonight, the midfielder, setting up what looks to be the game winner at this stage from a corner.
74'
Zaza has had a lot of near misses in this game. Marchisio cuts in from the left to loft a great cross in for the striker, but he doesn't rise in time to get his head to the ball.
73'
A. Aquilani enters the game and replaces A. Pirlo.
72'
Immobile does well to control a difficult loose ball and beat one defender. He overruns it past the second and the keeper can claim, but the Dortmund striker still appeals furiously for a foul.
70'
Azerbaijan begin to enjoy a period of possession in the Italy half. Pirlo coughs up a free kick and walks quickly away from the scene of the crime. He's on a yellow card already, remember.
68'
BIG MISS FROM ZAZA! Darmian does well to overlap down the right and slide a low cross that evades the first defender. Zaza is onto it from point-blank range, but he sidefoots wide with the goal virtually at his mercy!
66'
Agayev has yet to be tested in this second half, but that's not to say that Italy haven't been dangerous. There's just a venomous tip lacking to the Azzurri's forays forward as they push for the second.
64'
Zaza has been loving the bicycle kick in this game. Not for the first time, he attempts one and makes good contact on the ball, but it gets blocked before Agayev can be tested.
62'
Two changes made by Vogts, but none yet from Conte. His side are pushing hard for the goal that would end this game as a contest. Still plenty of energy in their play.
60'
Conte will not be sitting easily until his side get that second goal. Azerbaijan have provided nothing at all in attack, but one lucky set piece or deflection can suddenly pull things back to square one.
59'
C. Hüseynov enters the game and replaces R. Dadaşov.
58'
Pirlo mainly threatened from dead balls in the first half, but he's become increasingly involved from open play. He's picked some lovely passes from deep in this half and is looking more like his old self.
56'
An excellent Italy attack launched against from Bonucci's long ball is flicked by Pirlo into Zaza's path. It's intercepted, but Florenzi nearly comes up with the goods from the return cross.
54'
Zaza has become more involved in the second half, and his slipped pass nearly puts Immobile in the clear. It's good play overall from Italy, perhaps just lacking in that final ball.
52'
Italy are still bossing this game, and they've done well to force pressure in the Azerbaijan penalty area from the beginning of this second half. The visitors are finding it hard to cross the halfway line.
50'
The half-chances continue to fall Italy's way, as a cross is only cleared to Marchisio inside the box. His shot is off balance but sits up well for Zaza. The striker flicks it into the air, but Agayev smothers it moments before Zaza is called for a foul for a high boot.
48'
Incredible acrobatics from Zaza, who latches onto a long ball from Bonucci to plant an overhead kick about a foot or two wide of the mark. Good attempt though, you can't blame him for the miss.
47'
Berti Vogts' men nearly get carved apart right after the restart, with Immobile latching onto a through pass from Pirlo to storm down the right, only to see his shot blocked.
46'
R. Ramaldanov enters the game and replaces İ. Qırtımov.
Here we go again.
45' +1
Half time here in Palermo.
44'
G. Chiellini has scored a goal for Italy! Assist by A. Pirlo.
BREAKTHROUGH! It's a set play that opens the game up. Pirlo is excellent again from the dead ball, curling in a great corner that Chiellini attacks ahead of Agayev to score!
43'
Another chance goes over the top. Florenzi whips in a great ball for Zaza to attack, but the striker can't get over the ball in time and places his header too high. Decent chance, that.
42'
Matteo Darmian and Immobile link up again on the right flank, but the former's ball into the box is intercepted by a defender. It's becoming increasingly fragmented out there.
40'
First shot from the visitors, a speculative effort at best from Dadashov. He takes it on the turn and probably had the space to get about five yards closer to goal. Buffon is finally required to fetch the ball for a goal-kick.
38'
HUGE MISS! Pirlo lofts in an excellent free kick from the right-hand side towards the far post, and Ranocchia attacks the ball from point-blank range. He climbs all over his marker, but somehow places it over the crossbar! Should have burst the net there!
36'
Buffon hasn't touched the ball yet in any capacity and that probably won't change any time soon. I hope that he's bought the paper with him because it looks very boring between the Italy posts.
34'
Azerbaijan break forward for the first time in eons, and Aliyev is flattened by Pirlo mid turn. Yellow to come for the midfielder but judging by the reactions from the Azerbaijan players, you would have thought that he took a machete to Aliyev's ankle.
33'
A. Pirlo gets yellow.
32'
He's at it again! Immobile does excellently down the right flank, whipping in a dangerous ball towards the near post. There once again is Bonucci, who attacks it but is denied for the second time by Agayev! There may have been suspicion of a handball off a defender there, but it was a hard one for the referee to call.
30'
Azerbaijan are proving themselves a tough nut to crack. The two saves for Agayev were ones that you would expect any competent goalkeeper to make. It's starting to get frustrating for the Azzurri.
28'
CHANCE! Italy win their second corner, and Pirlo flights a great ball into the heart of the box. Bonucci dives onto it, but Agayev is able to get down to his right and smother. The Juve defender looks Italy's biggest goal threat so far!
26'
Italy get back to basics with a measured buildup that needs another intervention from Agayev, who races off his line to snatch the ball from the forehead of Zaza. That was positive.
24'
Italy have managed four shots so far, with just the one from Bonucci heading on target and drawing a save from Agayev. Conte would have probably wanted the visiting keeper to have been a busier man by this point.
22'
The home fans are getting a bit edgy here, as pay is broken up by a series of free kicks against Azerbaijan. The visitors are starting to muck things up on the pitch and get stuck in. It may be the furthest thing from pretty, but it suits their purposes perfectly.
20'
It's not as open as it was during the initial minutes. Azerbaijan have tightened things up at the back, and the gaps that were once there are becoming increasingly hard to come by for Italy.
18'
Azerbaijan would consider the opening minutes as success, as they've avoided conceding so far. They've only claimed three clean sheets away from home in the last 20 years, so history is not banking on them maintaining the current stalemate.
16'
Possession has been completely dominated by the Italians, though Azerbaijan are enjoying their first sustained spell out of their own half in the past few moments. It ends too quickly though.
15'
Agayev makes the first save of the game, but he looked to be preening for the cameras a bit. Bonucci's shot from 25 yards was deflected and pushed away by the keeper. After the defender's long-range special against Roma though, perhaps you can't blame the Azerbaijan keeper for going at full stretch.
13'
Huseyin Gocek has been known for his card-happy nature as of late. In the last 12 months, he's shown at least two yellow cards in all but two of the games that he's refereed.
12'
R. Dadaşov gets yellow.
11'
Rufat Dadashov becomes the first booking of the game for a foul on Florenzi in the middle of the park. He's supposed to be Azerbaijan's playmaker, but he's had no opportunity to show his skill on the ball so far.
9'
Azerbaijan's M.O. in defence is simply to play the ball over the touchline whenever possible. They're defending deep in two banks of five. Kamran Agayev could be in for a very busy evening.
7'
Confident start from Italy, who are dominating every aspect of this game. The front two of Immobile and Zaza look mobile and hungry, with plenty of creativity behind them. Azerbaijan under immense pressure.
5'
MARCHISIO! The Juventus midfielder is on the end of the first opening, and it's a good one! Immobile picks up possession in the opposition half thanks to a turnover, and cuts back to Marchisio just inside the box, but he ends up whacking his shot about a foot too high.
3'
Great start here from Italy, who immediately concentrate pressure in the final third. There's been a lot of space for Pirlo and Co. to operate in central areas, and chances don't look to be too far away from happening.
1'
Here we go, as Azerbaijan kick us off.
Hello and welcome to Italy's clash with Azerbaijan. I'm Keeghann Sinanan, your guide for all the action.
Azerbaijan Subs: Balayev, S Agayev, Yunuszade, Ufuk Budak, Guliyev, Ramaldanov, C Huseynov, Tashkin, Kurbanov, Ramazanov, Nadirov.
Andrea Pirlo has missed a lot of action already in the new season, but the veteran is confirmed to start tonight in his 113th appearance for the Azzurri. He will link up with Juve teammate Claudio Marchisio and Roma's Alessandro Florenzi in midfield.
Mario Balotelli has been axed from Antonio Conte's latest Italy squad, with the striker enduring a difficult start to life at Liverpool. Therefore, the two slots up front are taken by Simone Zaza and Ciro Immobile. It's a Bianconeri flavour to the backline, with Giorgio Chiellini joining Leonardo Bonucci and Inter's Andrea Ranocchia ahead of Gianluigi Buffon.
Azerbaijan's last outing ended in a 2-1 loss at home to Bulgaria. Their goalscorer from that game, Dimitrij Nazarov, has been named from the start in midfield. Rauf Aliyev, who with seven international goals to his name is the national side's top active scorer, will lead the line on his own.
Things are looking up for Italy under Conte. His side secured a 2-0 win over Norway in their opening Euro 2016 qualifier, and he'll surely expect his side to repeat the trick here at the Stadio Renzo Barbera. Group H looks like Italy's to lose, though as we've seen in the past, the Euro 2012 finalists have a tendency to make things hard for themselves.
Next up for Italy is a clash against Malta, before their crucial showdown with Croatia. Conte will want his side to head into that crucial latter match at San Siro with a full nine points on the board. Croatia look like Italy's biggest obstacles to a first-place finish, though we should not sleep on Bulgaria.
Azerbaijan have never made it to a major international tournament, and that 2-1 loss to Bulgaria is already a damaging result in their quest to sneak into the playoffs via a third-place finish. Only a late goal denied them a point against the Lions, but Azerbaijan will still need to pull an upset or two to have a chance of making it to France in two years.
The anthems are ringing out here in Palermo, and we're moments away from kickoff.
Italy get the lead right at the end of the half that their play has generally deserved. Their best chances have fallen to the feet of their defensive trio, with Bonucci and Ranocchia both coming close more than once. It was left to Chiellini to break the deadlock on the stroke of half time. Stay tuned for the restart shortly.
Chiellini scores all three goals of this game, as Italy round out their second win in qualifying for Euro 2016. They still sit atop Group H, and will face off against Malta and Croatia next. It was a hard-won three points for the Azzurri tonight, though Azerbaijan can have no complaints.
I've been Keeghann Sinanan and it's been a pleasure!
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