Italy started its journey toward a potential appearance in the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 3-1 away victory Monday over Israel at Sammy Ofer Stadium.
Graziano Pelle, Antonio Candreva and Ciro Immobile found the net for the Azzurri in a match that was closer than the final scoreline might suggest. Israel made a serious push for an equalizer during the middle portion of the second half before Immobile scored to secure all three points for the visitors.
Tal Ben Haim tallied the only goal for Israel in the first fixture of UEFA Group G qualifying.