BUDAPEST
\nItaly, who will miss a second consecutive World Cup, again found consolation in Europe as they won 2-0 in Budapest on Monday to edge Hungary for first place in their Nations League group. Giacomo Raspadori, who scored the winner against England on Friday, poked the ball home after Wilfried Gnonto had pounced on a poor Hungarian back pass to give Italy the lead in the 27th minute.
\n\u201cWe needed these matches to restore enthusiasm, even if the World Cup remains an open wound and we can not go back,\u201d said Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. \u201cWe have to start again, we have to do it for all of Italy.\u201d
\nHungary, who started the final round of games top of Group A3, fought hard but Donnarumma made two miraculous saves in quick succession in the 50th minute from Loic Nego and Adam Szalai.
\nTwo minutes later, Federico Dimarco met a Bryan Cristante cross at the back post to smash in his first international goal and Italy\u2019s 1,500th.
\nDonnarumma produced another outstanding to keep out a header from Callum Styles (55th).
\nItaly held on to follow the Netherlands and Croatia into the Nations League final four scheduled for June 2023.
\n\u201cWe were excellent for 70 minutes, the last 20 I didn\u2019t like too much,\u201d said Italy coach Roberto Mancini. \u201cWe\u2019re happy, it\u2019s important to have reached the Nations League final four for the second time.\u201d
\nSpain or Portugal meet on Tuesday to decide the last ticket for a chance to succeed France as champion.
\nItaly, who fell to a low point in March, less than a year after their Euro 2020 title, when they failed to qualify for the World Cup, have a another European final tournament to look forward to.
\nHungary\u2019s surprising run through the group had recalled some of the triumphs of the feats of the Magic Magyars of the 1950s.
\nThey gained a first competitive victory over Germany since 1954 and a first win away to England since 1954 but still have not beaten Italy since 1955.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BUDAPEST Italy, who will miss a second consecutive World Cup, again found consolation in Europe as they won 2-0 in Budapest on Monday to edge Hungary for first place in their Nations League group. Giacomo Raspadori, who scored the winner against England on Friday, poked the ball home after Wilfried Gnonto had pounced on a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286145,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-286122","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n