Candreva flies down the right flank and takes advantage of the space left behind by the advancing Maltese full-backs. He then cuts a lovely pass back to Eder, but the striker's first-time strike is blocked brilliantly by Zach Muscat, who flings his body in front of the shot to keep it from troubling Hogg.
90' +3
M. Mifsud enters the game and replaces A. Effiong.
And now Malta have made their final change, and it's an attacking one, with Effiong making way for their all-time leading goalscorer, Mifsud.
90' +1
G. Sciberras enters the game and replaces R. Briffa.
Malta have made their second substitution of the evening, with Sciberras coming on to take the place of Briffa.
90'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be three minutes of added time.
89'
Malta are enjoying a lengthy spell of possession at the moment as they desperately push forward in search of what would be a truly historic last-minute equaliser, but Italy are defending resolutely as they look to hold on to their narrow lead.
87'
A. Candreva gets yellow.
A lovely cross-field pass from Pasqual finds Candreva on the opposite flank, and he twists and turns on the edge of the penalty area before going down in front of Zach Muscat. It's, quite frankly, a very poor dive, and the referee immediately awards a free kick to Malta and shows the Italian a yellow card.
86'
Soriano breaks down the left wing before trying to curl a cross into the penalty area, but Borg does well to dispossess the substitute with a great tackle before kick-starting another Malta counter attack.
84'
Effiong hits the post! Kristensen breaks away on a brilliant run through the middle of the pitch before teeing up the aforementioned striker, who chips a deft shot over Buffon and onto the woodwork before the linesman's flag is raised for offside.
82'
What a chance for Eder! The resulting set-piece pinballs around the penalty area before the ball bounces off Effiong and into the feet of the aforementioned Italy striker, but he can only send his thumping strike into the side-netting from close range.
81'
Darmian flies into the right-hand side of the penalty area before cutting a pass back towards Pelle, but Zach Muscat does extremely well to dive in front of the cross to send it out for a corner.
Minute
Description
79'
Great save by Hogg! Parolo picks up the ball on the left-hand side of the penalty area before unleashing a rocket of a shot, but the Malta goalkeeper is just about able to parry it away from danger with a wonderful diving stop.
78'
R. Soriano enters the game and replaces M. Verratti.
Soriano comes on to take the place of Verratti, who seems to be struggling with a slight injury.
76'
Italy work the ball around nicely once again, but this time Candreva is unable to find a way past Kristensen, who takes advantage of the Italian substitute's poor touch before dispossessing him just outside of the Malta penalty area.
74'
Eder goes close! Candreva breaks down the right wing once again before cutting inside and sending a lovely pass towards the near post, but the aforementioned striker can only send his first-time strike just wide of the goal and out for a goal kick.
73'
B. Kristensen enters the game and replaces A. Schembri.
Schembri makes his way off the pitch to be replaced by Kristensen in Malta's first substitution of the game.
72'
Malta try to break away on a quick counter attack after dealing with a determined Italy attacking move, but it's quickly brought to an end by Pasqual, who dispossesses Schembri near the halfway line.
71'
Italy look far more confident, not to mention incredibly relieved, now that they've finally found the back of the net. They are moving the ball around with purpose as they desperately search for a second goal.
69'
G. Pellè has scored a goal for Italy! Assist by A. Candreva.
GOAL! Italy have finally scored! Candreva makes an immediate impact after coming on and picks up the ball in acres of space before curling in a wonderful cross that finds the head of Pelle. Hogg completely misses the ball and, as a result, the Southampton striker is easily able to nod it into the back of the net from close range.
67'
A dangerous cross from Candreva bounces through the Malta penalty area before finding Eder on the opposite flank, but, despite his best efforts, the striker is unable to find Pelle with his follow-up pass and instead sends the ball into the hands of Hogg at the near post.
66'
Schembri is down on the ground and holding his leg. It looks as if he's picked up a slight knock after clashing with Parolo near the halfway line, but he should be able to continue after a few moments of recovery time.
64'
A. Candreva enters the game and replaces M. Gabbiadini.
Italy have made their second change of the night, with Gabbiadini making way for Candreva.
63'
Great chance for Pelle! The striker takes advantage of a high Malta line to break into the penalty area and get onto the end of a wonderful pass from Pasqual, but he almost seems surprised that the linesman's flag hasn't been raised and, as a result, ends up firing his first-time strike into the side-netting.
61'
Great hold up play by Schembri! Malta successfully deal with yet another Italy attack before breaking away on one of their own, but, surrounded by white shirts, he holds up the ball extremely well before forcing Parolo into bring him down from behind, resulting in a free kick for the visitors.
59'
Gabbiadini hits the crossbar! The winger cuts inside from the right flank and unleashes an excellent curling strike that beats Hogg with ease before ricocheting off the woodwork. What a goal that would have been!
58'
What a tackle by Zach Muscat! Eder breaks into the Malta penalty area before teeing up Pelle with a lovely back-heel, but the aforementioned defender is there to steal the ball from the Southampton striker with an excellent toe-poked interception at the vital moment.
57'
Parolo is almost immediately involved in the action as a dangerous cross from Pelle almost finds him at the back post. However, a slight touch from Hogg takes it away from the substitute and out of harm's way.
55'
M. Parolo enters the game and replaces A. Bertolacci.
Italy have decided to make their first substitution of the game, with Parolo coming on to take the place of Bertolacci.
54'
Darmian threads a lovely pass through to Pelle, who breaks into the right-hand side of the penalty area before cutting the ball back towards Eder. Zach Muscat is there to meet the attempted cross, however, and knocks it towards Agius, who then clears the danger with a thumping volley from the byline.
53'
Wonderful free kick by Italy! Pirlo looks set to shoot but instead plays the ball short to Darmian, taking the Malta defence completely by surprise in the process. The right-back immediately unleashes a thumping shot from just inside the box but Agius dives in front of the strike to keep it from troubling Hogg.
52'
The ball pinballs around the edge of the Malta penalty area, with none of the visitors' defenders able to fully clear the danger. It finally falls at the feet of Pirlo, who is immediately brought crashing to the ground by a poor sliding challenge from Fenech, which results in a free kick for Italy in an incredibly dangerous position.
50'
Rowen Muscat is pushed over from behind by Pirlo, resulting in a free kick for Malta near the halfway line. They take it short and comfortably work their way around inside their own half of the pitch, where none of the Italian midfielders put any pressure on them whatsoever.
48'
Italy work the ball around patiently before Pasqual curls in a deep cross from the left flank, but it's poorly hit by the defender and misses both Pelle and Gabbiadini before bouncing harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.
46'
And we're underway once again!
45' +2
And now Effiong causes problems at the other end! Malta break away on a blisteringly quick counter attack through the big striker, who charges into the right-hand side of the penalty area before cutting inside and towards goal. He battles hard with Chiellini as he tries to find a way past the centre-back, but the Italian comes out on top before earning his side a free kick. That was a lucky let off for the hosts!
45' +1
Pelle gloes close! Bonucci pushes forward into space before chipping a lovely cross into the heart of the penalty area. It just about meets the aforementioned striker, who sticks out a foot to make contact with the ball, but he can only send his toe-poked striked just wide of the far post.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be two minutes of added time.
43'
Darmian breaks down the right wing before earning Italy yet another corner. Pirlo sends the resulting set-piece towards the edge of the penalty area but his attempted cross is poorly struck and can only find Schembri.
41'
Lovely play by Italy! Pelle jumps high to get onto the end of a lofted pass forward before chesting the ball down into the path of Eder. The forward then sprints deep into the penalty area before seemingly being pushed to the ground by Borg, but the referee pays him no attention and allows play to go on.
39'
Excellent chance for Eder! The Malta defence back off from the striker, allowing him to charge forward on a marauding run before firing a low shot from 20 yards out. It beats Hogg and looks set for the bottom left-hand corner of the net but ends up flying just an inch or two wide of the near post, much to the annoyance of the increasingly frustrated home fans.
37'
Fantastic save by Hogg! Bertolacci twists and turns just outside of the Malta penalty area before unleashing a thumping strike from the edge of the box. It takes a deflection off Zach Muscat that sends it away from the goalkeeper, but he adjusts his body well to parry it away with a strong diving stop.
35'
P. Fenech gets yellow.
Verratti holds up the ball on the right flank before beating Fenech, but an outstretched foot from the midfielder sends the Italian tumbling to the ground, resulting in a free kick for the hosts and a yellow card for the Malta midfielder.
34'
Italy are dominating possession at the moment but they're failing to do much with the ball. As time goes on, Malta are looking incredibly comfortable as they defend resolutely against the hosts, who are lacking any sort of urgency in the final third of the pitch.
32'
Gabbiadini is hauled to the ground on the right wing, resulting in a free kick for Italy in a very dangerous position. Pirlo sends in a wonderful cross from the set-piece that once again meets the head of Pelle, but the striker sends his close-range effort over the top of the crossbar.
30'
What a chance for Effiong! The striker embarks on a brilliant run down the left wing before cutting inside and beating Bonucci, but his curling 10-yard strike ends up flying just wide of the far post and out for a goal kick.
28'
The resulting corner is taken short and worked over to Failla, who then fires an audacious effort from 30 yards out that Buffon is able to watch sail harmlessly wide of the near post.
27'
A long period of Malta possession ends with Briffa on the right flank, and the captain swings in a scuffed cross that bounces over the foot of Chiellini before Bonucci is just about able to clear the danger out for a corner. If he wasn't there that would have given Effiong a great opportunity to fire the visitors into the lead.
25'
And now Pelle close goes! Pirlo's cross from the corner is excellent and finds the head of the aforementioned striker, but his effort on goal ends up flying just wide of its intended target.
24'
Great chance for Verratti! The midfielder twists and turns just outside of the Malta penalty area before firing a brilliant strike, but it takes a heavy deflection that sends it loopin over the top of the crossbar and out of play for a corner.
22'
A clumsy sliding challenge from Schembri brings down Pirlo from behind, resulting in a free kick for Italy in a dangerous position 30 yards away from goal. The aforementioned midfielder sends the set-piece towards the back post but it's overhit and is easily dealt with by Hogg.
20'
Italy are getting increasingly frustrated the more they push forward. They just can't seem to find a way past the sea of red shirts camped in front of them.
18'
Malta work the ball around well before Schembri is clumsily fouled midway inside the Italy half of the pitch. The visitors take it short and take the hosts' defence completely by surprise as a result, allowing Rowen Muscat to unleash a thumping long-range strike that bounces into the hands of Buffon.
16'
Pelle holds up the ball on the edge of the Malta box before spinning round Agius and firing a rocket of a shot that deflects off the aforementioned defender and out for a corner. The resulting set-piece is swung into the middle of the penalty area by Pirlo but the linesman's flag is immediately raised, indicating that the ball went out of play before coming back in.
14'
Eder and Pasqual link up well on the left flank before the latter swings a lovely cross into the penalty area. It meets Pelle, who immediately flicks the ball back towards the aforementioned forward, but it takes a slight deflection off Agius that takes it away from the Sampdoria man.
12'
A lovely lofted pass from Pirlo flies over the top of the Malta defence and onto the chest of Eder. The forward's first touch is slightly too heavy, however, and it takes the ball away from him before he's dispossessed by a strong tackle from Borg near the corner flag on the left wing.
10'
Italy work the ball around wonderfully well before Verratti tries to swing a cross onto the head of Eder, but the latter's run takes him away from the attempted pass, allowing Hogg to easily cut out the danger on the edge of the six-yard box.
8'
A well-placed cross from Eder reaches Verratti, who then tries to find Pelle with a looping header into the penalty area. It's slightly misplaced, however, and misses the striker before bouncing into the hands of Hogg at the far post.
6'
Malta try to embark on a slow attack down the left flank, but they're unable to make it past the halfway line before pressure from the Italy defence results in them giving away a throw-in.
4'
The resulting corner is curled into the heart of the penalty area, where it almost meets the head of Pelle. Hogg is just about able to deal with the danger with a thumping punch, however, but ends up catching Agius at the same time, leaving the centre-back dazed and confused on the floor.
3'
Early chance for Italy! The hosts immediately win possession straight away and embark on a determined, yet patient, attack before earning themselves a free kick just five yards outside of the penalty area. Pirlo steps up and fires a curling shot from the resulting set-piece, but it takes a deflection off the wall that sends it looping just over the top of the crossbar.
1'
And we're off! Malta get us underway, attacking from left to right.
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Euro 2016 qualifying clash between Italy and Malta. My name is Ben Cullimore and I will be keeping you up to date with all of the action from Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Today’s game kick-starts an important week for Italy, who are in desperate need of back-to-back victories if they are to keep the pressure firmly on Croatia whilst simultaneously confirming their place in next year’s competition. The Group H leaders currently sit three points clear of the Azzurri as a result of this afternoon’s goalless draw away to Azerbaijan, and Antonio Conte’s side, who are in second place in the group, are in danger of dropping behind third-place Norway if they are unable to rediscover the winning form that propelled them to early success. Three consecutive draws - two of which came against the group leaders - have knocked the wind out of their sails, although they will be confident about their chances of picking up a much-needed win tonight.
Malta have never before beaten Italy in a competitive game, although the last meeting between the two sides resulted in a narrow 1-0 victory for tonight’s hosts in an action-packed and feisty encounter that saw both teams reduced to 10 men. It’s been a difficult qualifying campaign for the minnows, who are the only Group H side yet to record a win, and, as a result, they currently lie bottom of the table with just one point. Without a competitive victory since 2013, this evening’s game could prove to be an incredibly tough one for Pietro Ghedin’s men.
There’s just over 15 minutes left to go until until kick-off, so let’s have a look at how the two teams will be lining up this evening…
Italy XI (4-3-3): Buffon; Darmian, Bonucci, Chiellini, Pasqual; Verratti, Pirlo, Bertolacci; Gabbiadini, Pelle, Eder.
Malta XI (5-3-2): Hogg; A. Muscat, Borg, Z. Muscat, Agius, Failla; R. Muscat, Fenech, Briffa; Effiong, Schembri.
Italy substitutes: Sirigu, Padelli, Barzagli, De Sciglio, Soriano, Parolo, De Rossi, Florenzi, Candreva, El Shaarawy, Vasquez, Zaza, Insigne.
Antonio Conte has decided to make six changes to the Italy side that started their last Euro 2016 qualifier against Croatia, with Giorgio Chiellini, Manuel Pasqual, Marco Verratti, Andrea Bertolacci, Manolo Gabbiadini and Eder coming into the squad to replace Lorenzo De Silvestri, Davide Astori, Marco Parolo, Claudio Marchisio, Antonio Candreva and Stephan El Shaarawy, respectively.
Meanwhile, Malta boss Pietro Ghedin has made three alterations to the side that featured against Bulgaria in June, with Justin Haber, Ryan Camilleri and Michael Mifsud making way for Andrew Hogg, Steve Borg and Andre Schembri.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
HALF-TIME: ITALY 0-0 MALTA
It's been an incredibly frustrating opening 45 minutes for Italy, who, despite bossing possession deep inside Malta's half of the pitch, just don't seem to be able to cause the visitors any problems. The minnows have defended brilliantly, getting every available player behind the ball every time the hosts are on the attack, and, as a result, it has so far been a relatively comfortable game. They have also looked impressive at the other end of the pitch, where Effiong has caused Chiellini and Bonucci several problems on the rare occasions that he's able to get on the ball.
The two teams are making their way back out onto the pitch ahead of the start of the second half. Neither side have made any substitutions during the half-time break.
FULL-TIME: ITALY 1-0 MALTA
It was far from a vintage Italy performance this evening, but in the end they were just about able to get the job done, despite being pushed extremely hard by an impressive Malta side. The visitors defended resolutely and threw everything they had at the hosts, but they were eventually undone by a momentary lapse in concentration that allowed Pelle to guide his side to a slender victory, just as he did when the teams last met.
The defeat means that Malta stay bottom of Group H with just one point from seven games ahead of Sunday's game at home to Azerbaijan, whilst Italy now sit equal on points with Croatia going into their clash against Bulgaria on the same day.
My name is Ben Cullimore and it's been an absolute pleasure describing all of the action to you this evening. Until next time, goodbye!
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