Defender Giorgio Chiellini scored three times, including an own goal, as Italy beat Azerbaijan 2-1 in their Euro 2016 Group H qualifier in Palermo last night.
After Italy dominated, but created few chances, Chiellini put them in front with a header from an Andrea Pirlo corner, which Azerbaijan keeper Kamran Agayev came for but failed to reach.
The Azzurri should have had the game in the bag but were shocked in the 76th minute when Chiellini was unable to deal with a Dimitrij Nazarov corner, the ball crossing the line off the centre-back’s leg.
Chiellini made amends six minutes later by angling home a near-post header from a fine cross by substitute Sebastian Giovinco to ensure Antonio Conte’s team secured a second straight win in the group before their next match against Malta on Monday.
With the help of an own goal Croatia also made it two wins out of two after a 1-0 win in Sofia.
Bulgaria did well to stifle the Croatian attack for much of the night, but gifted the visitors the only goal they needed when Fulham’s Nikolay Bodurov headed into this own net in the 36th minute.
Croatia coach Niko Kovac had warned his players to expect disciplined opponents effective at closing down the game and that is what they got in a match of few chances.
The goal came from a set-piece after Georgi Milanov fouled Luka Modric. Ivan Rakitic whipped in the free-kick and Bodurov inadvertently headed it home under pressure from Ivica Olic.
In Istanbul, Tomas Sivok and Borek Dockal were on target as the Czech Republic came from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 and notch their second straight victory in Group A.
Turkey grabbed the lead in the eighth minute when Caner Erkin swung in a deep cross from the left and Umut Bulut headed the ball past keeper Petr Cech.
The visitors levelled seven minutes later as Sivok outjumped his markers to nod in a corner from Ladislav Krejci.
Turkey were then made to pay for missing several good chances when Dockal fired a left-foot shot beyond home keeper Tolga Zengin in the 58th minute.
Holland came from behind to beat Kazakhstan 3-1 at the Amsterdam ArenA to get their campaign up and running.
The World Cup semi-finalists had lost their opening match away to the Czech Republic and a shock looked on the cards when Guus Hiddink’s side fell behind to an early header from Renat Abdulin.
However, the Oranje’s sustained pressure eventually told when substitute Klaas Jan Huntelaar equalised just after the hour.
Kazakhstan were soon reduced to 10 men when Baurzhan Dzholchiyev clattered into Ibrahim Afellay, whose deflected shot put the Dutch ahead with eight minutes left.
Captain Robin van Persie added a late third from the penalty spot.
Belgium also got their qualifying campaign off to a flying start with a 6-0 victory over Andorra in a predictably one-sided match.
In their first competitive en-counter since their World Cup quarter-final loss to Argentina, Belgium struck the woodwork three times in 20 minutes, opened the scoring with a Kevin de Bruyne penalty on the half-hour mark and then ripped apart Andorra’s defence.
De Bruyne was again on target after a fine lay-off from Divock Origi before a Nacer Chadli half-volley made it 3-0 at half-time.
Origi turned one defender and beat another for number four, before Dries Mertens bagged two, a header after a superb long ball from Radja Nainggolan and a shimmy and sharp shot to make it six.
Before a sell-out crowd in Brussels, the hosts rested Eden Hazard in the hope that his bruised toe would be fully recovered in time for Monday’s tougher qualifier against Bosnia.