World Cup qualification: Italy averts humiliation against Israel – despite two own goals

Fiasco averted: Four-time football world champions Italy have won the crucial World Cup qualifying clash against Israel . In his second game as national coach, Gennaro Gattuso celebrated his second victory with a stunning 5-4 (1-1) victory in Debrecen, Hungary, after twice coming from behind. Italy now shares Israel's nine points in Group I – thus also reducing the gap to the unblemished league leaders Norway (12).

Manuel Locatelli caused an early shock with an own goal (16th minute) in an opening phase characterized by Italian slapstick. AC Fiorentina striker Moise Kean brought the favorites back before the break and also after they had fallen behind again through Dor Peretz (52nd minute) (40th/54th minute). Matteo Politano (59th minute) and Giacomo Raspadori (81st minute) completely turned the game around before another own goal by Alessandro Bastoni (87th minute) and another by Peretz (89th minute) equalized. But Italy had the last word, with Sandro Tonali scoring the celebrated winner (90th+1).

Former world champion Gattuso, who succeeded Luciano Spalletti in June and is set to lead Italy to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico after two missed finals, saw his team get off to a horrific start three days after his impressive debut in the 5-0 win against Estonia in Bergamo. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma punched the ball into his own net following a corner, but referee Slavko Vincic blew the whistle and ruled the Israeli striker had committed an offensive foul. The German referees Christian Dingert and his assistant Sascha Stegemann in the VAR area also had no objections – a wrong call. Ten minutes later, a pass from Nicoló Barella that was too short forced Donnarumma into a risky sliding tackle, but this time the penalty was rightly not awarded. But Italy remained sluggish – Donnarumma sailed wide of a cross and Locatelli ultimately slipped a low cross into his own net.

But then the favorites turned things around. Kean left Hamburg's Daniel Peretz in the Israeli goal no chance with his low shot. The Israelis, who had won 4-0 in Moldova on Friday, regained the lead out of nowhere. Manor Salomon danced through the Italian defense, and Peretz fired into the top corner. Less than two minutes later, however, the Italians responded, with Politano and substitute Raspadori securing what they thought was a sure victory. Israel came back with a double before Tonali finally got the winner.

Israel, which has played its "home" games in eastern Hungary near the Romanian border since the attacks on Gaza began in October 2023, played with black armbands after six Israelis were killed in a terrorist attack in Jerusalem on Monday. Some of the nearly 200 Italian fans turned away during the opposing team's anthem and held up nearly 30 protest signs reading "Stop."