Italy Dominates Israel in Nations League Match Under Heavy Security

Italy solidified their position at the top of Nations League Group A2 on Monday, by thumping Israel 4-1 in Udine, while ramped-up security saw the away side play their first match of 2024 outside Hungary.

Mateo Retegui’s penalty four minutes from half-time was backed up by a double from skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo and then Davide Frattesi’s 72nd-minute strike that sent Italy to 10 points from four unbeaten matches.

This Italy under the swaggering Luciano Spalletti are a different side from the one that put in a hopeless title defense at this summer’s European Championship.

Another strong performance, in which they missed a host of chances to win by an even wider margin, was marred by Guglielmo Vicario allowing Mohammed Abu Fani’s corner straight past him in the 65th minute.

“We didn’t take anywhere near full advantage of what we created. To get in front of their goalkeeper so often wasn’t easy because they sat deep and finding space was hard,” Spalletti told RAI.

Di Lorenzo was pleased as punch with his double-a neat header from Napoli teammate Giacomo Raspadori’s free-kick in the 54th minute and a drilled effort which rounded off the scoring 11 minutes from the end.

Israel had been playing all their home games in Hungary owing to the security situation in the Middle East. They remain bottom of the group without a point yet but are not yet relegated to League B as they trail Belgium by four points with two games remaining.

The state has been at war since the October 7 attack last year by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist movement, which mounted the deadliest-ever attack on Israel. The peaceful demonstrators, including members of local Palestinian communities, took to the streets only to protest against Israel and, in some instances, to call for the suspension of the country from football by the world governing body FIFA.