Football
ESPN staff 9y

Italy forward Graziano Pelle unsure if goal against Malta was legal

Italy forward Graziano Pelle said he's unsure if his winning goal should have counted in the Azzurri's 1-0 victory over Malta in their European Championships qualifier on Thursday.

It appeared that Pelle used his shoulder or arm to redirect in a cross from Antonio Candreva in the 69th minute of a match that Italy dominated. But it wasn't clear if the goal should have been disallowed.

"I don't remember whether I touched it with my arm. I'll have to see the replay too and then I'll tell you," Pelle said.

"We weren't under pressure or allowed them chances, but when there are 10 men behind the ball it's tricky. If we had scored earlier, it would've been a different type of game.

"Obviously we know that we need to improve, but every match is going to be difficult and we have to start every encounter with that determination and patience.

Italy coach Antonio Conte put his side's struggles to put away Malta down to a perennial problem -- his players are not fully fit in early September.

The Serie A season started slightly earlier this year to accommodate Conte's wishes to have his squad available well in advance of Euro 2016, but despite that they lacked sharpness against a side ranked 160 in the world -- 144 places below them.

It took Italy almost 70 minutes to break the deadlock in Florence and in the end Pelle's second-half strike was all that separated the teams.

Conte said in a news conference: "We knew it was going to be difficult and I think we were spot on with our prediction.

"It's hard to play with such intensity in the first game of the new season -- I'd like us to be intense for 95 minutes but it's not always possible.

"Some of my players are still not at their best condition yet."

Like in Malta in the reverse fixture, Pelle was Italy's match-winner.

"I'm happy for Pelle to have scored -- he had a good game," Conte said of the Southampton forward, who is becoming increasingly his first-choice selection in attack.

"I hope that he can carry on this way, and I hope his experience in playing abroad can help him improve even more."

Pelle said scoring is always difficult, no matter the opponent.

"That's my job -- to score," he said. "It's never easy. Football is very balanced these days."

Malta still only have one point from their qualifying campaign but can take confidence from the fact they made life very difficult for Italy.

However, Malta coach Pietro Ghedin took little pleasure from the praise he received for his side's performance.

"When you lose, you're never happy," he said. "We may be getting compliments, but we still get zero points and it's very disappointing. All of my players were great tonight.

"Games like these are very tough, even more so when you lose, but we've got to move on."

They move on to face Azerbaijan, their nearest rivals to avoid finishing bottom of the group.

Italy, meanwhile, host Bulgaria before ending their qualifying campaign in Azerbaijan and then at home to third-placed Norway, a final group game which could yet prove decisive.

Not according to Malta's Italian coach, however.

"Come on, of course Italy will make it," he said. "They may have an odd bad game, but they are strong with incredible staff.

"It's not easy to win every game, but they will be ready for Euro 2016."

Information from The Associated Press and Press Association was used in this report.

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