Elite round - 23/05/2010 - 15:00CET ( 17:00 ) - Spartak - Schelkovo
  • Destro 40' , 66'
  • Tremolada 42'
3 - 2
  • Norwood 32' (P)
  • C. McLaughlin 58'

Destro sends Italy through to finals

Published: Sunday 23 May 2010, 16.45CET
Italy 3-2 Northern Ireland
FC Internazionale Milano forward Mattia Destro scored two and set up another as Italy booked their finals place with a game to spare.
by Igor Sturov
from Spartak Stadium
Destro sends Italy through to finals
Mattia Destro was Italy's hero in Schelkovo ©Getty Images
Published: Sunday 23 May 2010, 16.45CET

Destro sends Italy through to finals

Italy 3-2 Northern Ireland
FC Internazionale Milano forward Mattia Destro scored two and set up another as Italy booked their finals place with a game to spare.

FC Internazionale Milano forward Mattia Destro scored two and set up another as Italy secured their place at the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with a game to spare after a topsy-turvy 3-2 victory over Northern Ireland.

The Azzurrini dispatched the Czech Republic in their elite round Group 5 opener despite being down to ten men, but the Irish proved a tougher proposition in Schelkovo. Indeed, Steve Beaglehole's side were briefly in front when Oliver Norwood converted a penalty just after the half-hour, following a foul on William Grigg, before Destro took centre stage.

The Inter youngster rifled in a free-kick (40) then swiftly turned provider, charging down the right on the break and teeing up Luca Tremolada to make it 2-1. Northern Ireland recovered from two goals down to draw with Russia on Friday and again they clawed their way back, captain Connor McLaughlin finding the net just before the hour after a Shane Ferguson free-kick.

Yet Destro was not done, and his eighth goal in qualifying midway through the second period established an unassailable lead atop Group 5 for Italy. They join Spain, Portugal and hosts France in this summer's finals.

Related information

Club profiles

Player profiles

Lineup

Italy

Italy

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

1Simone Colombi (GK)1Conor Devlin (GK)
2Marco Faraoni
Yellow Card72'
4Jonathan Breeze
Substitution77'
3Michelangelo Albertazzi5Connor McLaughlin (C)
Goal58'
4Roberto Soriano6Christopher Hegarty
Yellow Card80'
Substitution87'
6Luca Caldirola7James Gray
Substitution54'
7Jacopo Sala
Substitution46'
8Oliver Norwood
Goal32'
Yellow Card74'
9Mattia Destro
Goal40'
Goal66'
9William Grigg
10Fabio Borini (C)10Patrick McLaughlin
11Cristian Galano13Liam Boyce
Yellow Card71'
15Alessandro Malomo17Craig Hill
16Luca Tremolada
Goal42'
18Ryan Blake
Yellow Card40'

Substitutes

12Mattia Perin (GK)12Wayne Drummond (GK)
5Riccardo Brosco2Liam Bagnall
8Andrea Bertolacci11Shane Ferguson
Substitution54'
13Andrea Adamo14Andrew Mitchell
Substitution87'
17Marco D'Alessandro
Substitution46'
Yellow Card88'
15Scott Davidson
18Cardoso Dumitru16Neil Dougan
Substitution77'

Coach

Massimo Piscedda (ITA) Steve Beaglehole (NIR)

Referee

István Kovács (ROU)

Assistant referees

Radu Adrian Stefan Ghinguleac (ROU), Dmitriy Mosyakin (RUS)

Fourth official

Vladimir Kazmenko (RUS)
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