Del Piero penalties seal Italy win

October 11, 2000
Daily Soccer

ANCONA, Italy - Two second half penalties from Alessandro Del Piero gave Italy a 2-0 win over Georgia in their World Cup European group eight qualifier on Wednesday. Italy were pushed all the way by an enterprising Georgian side who would be justified in feeling they deserved at least a point from an evenly balanced match.

Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni was clearly pleased to have picked up another win after Saturday's 3-0 victory of Romania but admitted his side needed to thank their goalkeeper Francesco Toldo for two vital first half saves.

"Georgia really made us suffer in the first half and twice Toldo had to save us. But we started to improve in midfield and in the end I think it was a fair result. But I think that Georgia showed tonight that they can be our most dangerous rivals in this group," said Trapattoni.

Italy could have opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Stefano Fiore set up Marco Delvecchio but the Roma striker shot weakly at Georgia 'keeper David Gvaramadze. But it was clear from the start that unlike Saturday's win over Romania, Italy were up against determined and dangerous opponents.Giorgi Nemsadze forced a good save from Toldo in the 12th minute and then Archil Arveladze cut in from the left and went close with a low drive wich hit the side-netting.

STRUGGLED 
Italy struggled to gain control in a midfield dominated by the energetic and incisive work of Temuri Ketsbaia, but Del Piero, recalled in place of influenza victim Filippo Inzaghi, brought Gvaramadze to full stretch with a right-foot shot in the 18th minute.

The best effort of an entertaining first half came a minute later when Ketsbaia burst out of midfield, raced into the Italian penalty area and unleashed a fierce drive which Toldo superbly parried.

Two minutes after the break Italy had the lead when Francesco Totti was judged to have been tripped in the area by Alexander Rekhviashvili and Del Piero coolly converted the penalty.

Trapattoni promptly replaced striker Delvecchio with the battling midfielder Gennaro Gattuso and the extra man in the centre of the field succeeded in reducing the influence of Ketsbaia.

But Georgia coach David Kipiani's introduction of Gocha Jamarauli and Giorgi Demetradze gave his side some fresh impetus and Italy were on the back foot again. Georgia went close to an equaliser 10 minutes from the end when Toldo failed to hold a stinging long range effort from substitute Jamarauli, but the ball was scrambled clear by Alessandro Nesta.

Italy made sure of the points two minutes from the end when Del Piero went down as he rounded Gvaramadze and despite protests from the Georgian defenders the Juventus striker rose to slot home the spot kick.

"It went well for Del Piero tonight but above all this was a victory that showed the need for collective hard work and determination even when things are not going so well," said Trapattoni.

Italy lead group eight with seven points from their three games but playmaker Totti, booked in the second half, will be suspended for the trip to Romania on March 24.
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