Davide Frattesi scored twice as Italy claimed a crucial win over Ukraine to keep alive their hopes of reaching Euro 2024.
But Frattesi, on loan at Sassuolo from Inter Milan, scored twice in the first 29 minutes to put Italy in charge.
Andriy Yarmolenko pulled one back, but it was not enough to deny Italy as they moved above Ukraine into second place.
England, who beat Scotland 3-1 in a friendly at Hampden Park, lead the section on 13 points from five games with Italy on seven points from four matches.
Ukraine and North Macedonia both have seven points from five matches, with only the top two sides at the end of the group phase qualifying for Euro 2024 in Germany.
Italy play Malta at home in their next qualifier on 14 October before a match against England at Wembley three days later.
Line-ups
Italy
Formation 4-3-3
- 1G Donnarumma
- 2Di Lorenzo
- 15Scalvini
- 23Bastoni
- 3DimarcoSubstituted forBiraghiat 58′minutes
- 8Frattesi
- 5Locatelli
- 18BarellaSubstituted forCristanteat 84′minutes
- 21ZanioloSubstituted forOrsoliniat 72′minutes
- 10RaspadoriSubstituted forReteguiat 72′minutes
- 20ZaccagniSubstituted forGnontoat 58′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Biraghi
- 6Romagnoli
- 7Orsolini
- 9Retegui
- 11Gnonto
- 12Vicario
- 13Darmian
- 14Pessina
- 16Cristante
- 17Immobile
- 19Casale
- 22Meret
Ukraine
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Bushchan
- 2KonoplyaBooked at 62mins
- 13ZabarnyiBooked at 78mins
- 4Kryvtsov
- 16MykolenkoBooked at 38mins
- 6StepanenkoBooked at 76minsSubstituted forSydorchukat 84′minutes
- 17ZinchenkoSubstituted forBuyalskyiat 75′minutes
- 7YarmolenkoSubstituted forMudrykat 58′minutes
- 8Sudakov
- 15TsygankovSubstituted forVanatat 75′minutes
- 11DovbykSubstituted forYaremchukat 58′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Mykhailichenko
- 5Sydorchuk
- 9Yaremchuk
- 10Mudryk
- 12Trubin
- 14Buyalskyi
- 18Vanat
- 19Popov
- 20Zubkov
- 21Karavaev
- 22Nazaryna
- 23Lunin
- Referee:
- Alejandro José Hernández Hernández
