Italy drew 2-2 with Armenia on Tuesday night in their 2014 World Cup qualifier at Napoli’s Stadio San Paolo.
Yura Movsisyan gave the away side the lead and Alessandro Florenzi equalised for Italy. Henrikh Mkhitaryan gave the Armenians the lead again before substitute Mario Balotelli levelled the scores for the Azzurri.
In the third minute, Davide Astori almost gifted Armenia the lead when he failed to control the ball. Movsisyan dispossessed Astori but his shot was deflected and won a corner.
The Armenians took a shock lead after five minutes. Alberto Aquilani passed straight to an Armenian midfielder and with one touch he gave Movsisyan a chance to run into space. The Spartak Moscow striker struck the ball first time and his angled drive went in at the far post.
Pablo Osvaldo had an opportunity to score after 11 minutes. He controlled the ball with his right foot in the penalty box and tried to bend a shot with his left, which went wide at the far post.
Armenian goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky was forced into two saves by the Azzurri. Lorenzo Insigne had cut-in from the left and shot from long-range. His shot hit the left post, bounced off it, and the keeper saved it with his leg. He was also alert to save the rebound from Osvaldo.
Alessandro Florenzi levelled the score after 24 minutes. Insigne ran onto a through-ball, flicked the ball with his right foot over most of the players in the box and Florenzi outjumped his opponent at the far post to header home.
Armenian playmaker Mkhitaryan went on a solo run after winning the ball just inside his own half. He beat two defenders and shot with his foot but the ball went wide at the far post.
Midfielder Aras Ozbiliz took a shot from long range but Federico Marchetti in the Italian goal dealt with the shot with ease.
Insigne could have scored a wonder goal in the 35th minute. With his back towards a defender, he turned by back-heeling the ball with his right foot. After beating the defender, he aimed his low right-foot shot at the far post and the ball just went wide.
Ignazio Abate created another chance for Insigne after crossing from the right-wing but the Napoli’s volley also went wide at the far post.
Insigne played a one-two with Florenzi outside of the penalty box but his thunderous shot was caught by Berezovsky.
The second half started off more quietly than the first. Andrea Pirlo had the first chance of the half with a free-kick but the ball ballooned over the bar.
Insigne went on a run down the left-wing and tested Berezovsky at the near post, forcing a corner.
Balotelli and Antonio Candreva came on as substitutes and the AC Milan striker laid the ball off for the Lazio midfielder. Candreva started a run from his own half, beating one defender. He tried to beat a second defender but his cross-shot hit the side-netting.
The Armenians took the lead again after 70 minutes. After a corner came from the left, Mkhitaryan headed the ball onto the crossbar. The ball bounced over the line and back out again but it was a clear goal.
Balotelli levelled the scores in the 76th minute. Riccardo Montolivo passed to Pirlo who flicked the ball into the path of Balotelli. With one touch the Milan striker lobbed the ball past an advancing Berezovsky.
Balotelli had chances to give Italy the lead. He had a chance from a free-kick and another chance from open play. He dragged the ball with the outside of his right foot but his shot went over the bar.
The Rossoneri striker nearly gave the Azzurri the lead when his diving header went into the back of the net. His goal was disallowed because he had pushed one of the Armenian defenders.
Armenia were creating chances to take the lead too and Montolivo had to clear one of their crosses away.
Abate laid the ball off for another substitute in Giuseppe Rossi. The Fiorentina striker took a left-foot shot from distance which went over the bar.
Balotelli had another chance to win it in stoppage time. He beat three defenders but his weak angled drive just went wide.
Candreva had a chance from a tight angle and Mkhitaryan also had a long-range effort but neither team could find a winner.
