Italy drew 2-2 with Denmark in an entertaining World Cup Qualifier at Parken in Copenhagen on Friday evening.
The Azzurri went ahead thanks to a lovely strike from Pablo Osvaldo, but Nicklas Bendtner levelled just before half time with a pin-point header. Then after the break the former Juventus striker got his second of the game in an almost identical fashion, before Alberto Aquilani levelled just before the final whistle.
Initially it was Italy who were controlling possession but not looking particularly dangerous when going forward, though Osvaldo did manage to pull a ball back in the box for Alessandro Diamanti whose shot was blocked by Daniel Agger.
Not long after Antonio Candreva went charging down the right side, but his cross from the goal line was pushed wide by Stephan Andersen.
The home side did look to take the initiative with Italy content to sit in their own half at times, but it was the Azzurri who broke the deadlock just before the half hour.
An Andrea Pirlo-esque ball was played over the defence by Thiago Motta, Osvaldo controlled and took out Agger in one movement to get himself one-on-one with Andersen who couldn’t get onto a magnificently well-placed effort into the far bottom corner.
Denmark once more took the initiative after going a goal down, and Christian Eriksen went close with a cross come shot, but Gianluigi Buffon, who was celebrating his 137th cap, knocked the ball wide.
Then, in the final moments of the first half, Michael Krohn-Dehli floated a cross over from the right and Bendtner rose high above Federico Balzaretti to nod home.
After the break, Diamanti went close after being played into the box by Riccardo Montolivo, but after weaving his way past two Danish defenders, the Bologna forward poked wide. Eriksen then smacked the post from a freekick on the edge of the Italian penalty area.
With the game becoming somewhat stretched, Claudio Marchisio had a fantastic opportunity to put the Azzurri ahead after he was played in on goal by Diamanti, but the Juventus man could only side foot straight at Andersen.
Buffon then came to the rescue for Cesare Prandelli’s side with a routine save to tip a Bendtner shot over the bar, but then an Andrea s Bjelland effort crashed off the crossbar, only for a combination of Buffon and Osvaldo to mop up the loose ball.
Denmark then continued to pile on the pressure, peppering the Italy box with crosses, and it wasn’t long before they got their reward.
Once more the ball came in from the right side with Krohn-Dehli playing the ball perfectly onto Eriksen’s run and the Tottenham Hotspur star made no mistake with his cross as he planted it onto the head of Bendtner, who towered above Barzagli for the second time in the game.
Italy then went in search of the equaliser and in time added on Aquilani deflected in an Osvaldo shot to give the Azzurri a point, though they had already qualified for the World Cup in Brazil next year.
