DEBRECEN: Italy triumphed in a whirlwind game to beat Israel 5-4 in their World Cup qualifier in Hungary after the Italians scored two own goals, twice came from behind and conceded a late equaliser but scrambled a win to stay in the hunt in Group I.

New manager Gennaro Gattuso had seen Italy beat Estonia 5-0 on Friday and, while it was far from a five-star performance on neutral ground away to Israel they somehow came away with the three points.

Italy’s victory puts them to second in the group on nine points, ahead of Israel on goal difference with a game in hand, but three points off Norway who have also played four matches.

Italy almost fell behind in the fourth minute when Gianluigi Donnarumma punched the ball into his own net from a corner, but Stav Lemkin was adjudged to have fouled the goalkeeper.

The Italians continued to look shaky at the back and Nicolo Barella’s lazy back pass was almost pounced on by Eliel Peretz before Donnarumma made a desperate clearance.

However, Israel took a deserved lead in the 16th minute.

Eli Dasa passed to Dan Biton whose pull back from the byline was turned into his own goal by Manuel Locatelli.

Italy found the equaliser five minutes from the break.

Mateo Retegui laid a pass off to strike partner Kean whose powerful low shot from outside the box found the bottom corner.

Kean forced Israel keeper Daniel Peretz into a save shortly after the interval with a shot on the turn but it was Israel who took the lead again in the 52nd minute.

Manor Solomon twisted and turned his way into the area before laying off a pass which Dor Peretz whipped first time beyond the reach of Donnarumma.

Italy were almost immediately back on terms, with Kean once more to the rescue two minutes later. Retegui made the decisive pass and Kean smashed a half-volley from the edge of the area.

Retegui was the provider yet again when Italy went ahead for the first time in the 58th minute, as Matteo Politano poked home his deft back-heeled pass in the box.

Italy looked to have sealed the win when substitute Giacomo Raspadori netted with nine minutes remaining before Alessandro Bastoni’s own goal in the 87th handed Israel a lifeline.

Israel thought they had snatched a draw and dented Italy’s qualifying hopes when Dor Peretz headed his second past Donnarumma from close range in the 89th but the drama was not over yet.

The game had just entered added time when Sandro Tonali took an opportunistic shot from outside the area which flew past the keeper and Italy somehow kept their World Cup qualifying hopes ticking over.

Sweden upset

Sweden’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup were dented after a 2-0 defeat away to Kosovo, who had Lindon Emerllahu sent off in second-half stoppage time for picking up a second yellow card.

The Swedes, who conceded a 90th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw away to Slovenia on Friday, went behind in the 26th minute as goalkeeper Robin Olsen blocked Elvis Rexhbecaj’s shot only for the rebound to fly off the midfielder’s shin into the net.

Vedat Muriqi made it 2-0 for Kosovo three minutes before the break and although Sweden brought on Alexander Isak, the most expensive player in Premier League history after moving to Liverpool, they could not find a way back into the game.

The victory moved Kosovo up to second place in Group B on three points, three behind Switzerland, who thumped Slovenia 3-0 to make it two wins out of two. The Swedes are third on one point, ahead of Slovenia on goal difference.

Denmark recover

Denmark’s Mikkel Damsgaard displayed the full range of his dribbling tricks as his side won 3-0 in Greece, grabbing the opening goal as they went top of World Cup qualifying Group C ahead of Scotland on goal difference.

Damsgaard put Denmark ahead in the 32nd minute, playing his part in winning the ball back on the edge of the penalty area before pirouetting and curling a superb shot past the despairing dive of Konstantinos Tzolakis for his fifth international goal.

After not registering a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, the Greeks made two changes at the break and came out strongly in the second half but were soon two goals down.

With Damsgaard jinking and running at the defence almost every time he got the ball, Denmark’s second came when injury-plagued Andreas Christensen surged forward from his centre-back position before firing home from the edge of the area.

Konstantinos Mavropanos finally got an effort on target for Greece with a header in the 79th minute but Rasmus Hojlund killed the game off two minutes later, tapping the ball into an empty net after Patrick Dorgu hit the post.

After Denmark’s 0-0 draw with Scotland in their opening group game in Copenhagen on Friday, the win leaves them level on four points with the Scots, who beat Belarus 2-0, opens new tab in Hungary.

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