Norway vs. Italy: Winners and Losers from Euro 2016 Qualifier
Italy got their Euro 2016 qualification campaign off to a flyer on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Norway in Oslo.
Simone Zaza bagged his first goal for the Azzurri to open the scoring in the 16th minute, and after sustaining a spell of pressure to start the second half, Leonardo Bonucci was able to double the scoreline for the guests.
Norway's defending was heroic at times and shambolic at others. It was a fine line they couldn't afford to walk against an opponent of Italy's pedigree, and at the final whistle, the result was a fair one.
Following are some winners and losers from the encounter.
Winner: Simone Zaza, Who Opened His Italy Account
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More than a few eyebrows were raised when Simone Zaza was called into Italy manager Antonio Conte's national setup.
However, the Sassuolo striker justified his place with an encouraging performance against the Netherlands last week, and on Monday he built on that display in Oslo.
Shortly after the quarter-hour mark, the 23-year-old accepted Mattia De Sciglio's pass, drifted to his left and then released a shot to the near corner.
It ended up taking a fortuitous deflection off Havard Nordtveit before beating Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, but Zaza's movement had nevertheless allowed the goal to happen.
Loser: Havard Nordtveit, Who Had an Up and Down Evening
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Havard Nordtveit was exceptional in Norway's friendly against England last week—a 1-0 defeat at Wembley.
On Tuesday, however, he struggled at times when Italy attacked in numbers, particularly as his midfield teammates allowed a pocket of space to permanently exist between themselves and the back line.
Nordtveit, who plays as a central midfielder at Borussia Monchengladbach, was booked in the 83rd minute for a lazy foul on Ciro Immobile, while his deflection on Simone Zaza's first-half shot allowed the Azzurri to open the scoring.
Winner: Antonio Conte, Who Is Making All the Right Decisions
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Antonio Conte is only two matches into his tenure as Italy manager, but already the former Juventus boss seems to have introduced a certain aura to the Azzurri.
His decision to start Ciro Immobile against the Netherlands last week paid off in a goal from the Borussia Dortmund striker, and on Tuesday Simone Zaza justified Conte's faith with a goal of his own.
Then there was the introduction of Manuel Pasqual, which led directly to the second goal of the night.
Just seconds after replacing Matteo Darmian, Pasqual delivered an accurate cross into the goalmouth that Leonardo Bonucci headed into the back of the net with aplomb.
Winner: Per Skjelbred, Who Shone for Norway
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No Italy midfielder touched the ball as often as Per Skjelbred on Tuesday—and that's despite the fact that the 27-year-old was withdrawn with 15 minutes remaining.
While he was on the pitch, Skjelbred made things happen for his side. In the 10 or so minutes that Norway dominated after the restart, it was he who kept delivering through balls to striker Joshua King.
Skjelbred also managed to complete 89 percent of his passes before being replaced by veteran Morten Gamst Pedersen, according to WhoScored.com.
Loser: Havard Nielsen, Who Was Uninvolved and Then Picked Up a Knock
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Havard Nielsen rarely got a touch in the first half, although on the occasion that he switched to the right-hand side, he seemed to cause Mattia De Sciglio no shortage of problems.
Perhaps it was an organisational error that left him isolated on the left through much of the first half; perhaps it was a rigidity amongst his team-mates to accommodate him.
Whatever the case, Nielsen touched the ball just 15 times in the first half and was withdrawn in the 50th minute following a hard challenge from Leonardo Bonucci.
Winner: Daniele De Rossi, Who Kept Things Ticking in the Italy Midfield
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Without either Andrea Pirlo or Marco Verratti on the pitch for Italy, it fell to Daniele De Rossi to keep things ticking in the centre of the park against Norway.
He actually started slowly in both the first half and the second, but on the balance of play, there wasn't a better midfielder on the pitch.
Not only did the 31-year-old distribute the ball efficiently, but he also committed himself to his defensive duties—as is his strength—and was called upon to operate as a central defender more than once as the Italy defence struggled to play the ball from the back on occasion.
