World Cup Qualifier: Italy Set New Unbeaten Record
Italy broke the world record for the longest unbeaten run in international football with a goalless draw at Switzerland on Sunday, while Germany got their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track by thrashing Armenia 6-0.
“The ball didn’t want to go into the goal,” Italian coach Roberto Mancini told RAI.
“We had too many chances today not to win the match… We have to be more clinical and more precise.”
The draw, however, extended Mancini’s side’s unbeaten run to 36 matches, breaking the previous mark they shared with Brazil and Spain.
The Azzurri remain top of Group C, four points above Switzerland who have two games in hand.
Italy are bidding to banish the memories of their shock failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The group winners automatically reach next year’s finals in Qatar, with the runners-up heading into the play-offs.
The Germans brushed off the cobwebs of their underwhelming 2-0 win over Liechtenstein in Hansi Flick’s first match in charge by thrashing previous leaders Armenia to go top of Group J.
Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry scored twice in the first 15 minutes.
Timo Werner set up Marco Reus, who was recalled by Flick, to put the result beyond doubt before netting himself to complete a dominant opening 45 minutes.
The home crowd in Stuttgart were given a fifth goal to cheer by Jonas Hofmann early in the second period, before the four-time world champions added further gloss in added time through 19-year-old debutant Karim Adeyemi.
They now lead Armenia by two points, with Romania a point further back after beating Liechtenstein 2-0.
A shock home loss to North Macedonia earlier this year had put Germany’s qualification in danger.
AFP
