Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini scored three times, including an own goal, as they beat Azerbaijan 2-1 in their Euro 2016 Group H qualifier in Palermo.

It was a struggle at times for Antonio Conte's team against an Azerbaijan side who defended in numbers, but in the end the Italians secured the three points thanks to a player who had scored four goals in his previous 71 internationals.

Italy, who are joint top on six points with Croatia, should have had an early lead when Ciro Immobile broke free in the sixth minute and found Claudio Marchisio in a promising position, but the midfielder blasted his shot high and wide.

Andrea Ranocchia then missed a great chance with an unchallenged header from an Andrea Pirlo free kick but Chiellini finally put Italy in front a minute before the interval.

Again Pirlo was the creator with a corner which Azerbaijan keeper Kamran Agayev came for but failed to reach and Chiellini powered in a header.

Simone Zaza, partnering Immobile in attack, went close after the break with an acrobatic effort after fine work from Leonardo Bonucci. Zaza should have scored at the near post shortly after, but his effort from a low Matteo Darmian cross was wide.

OWN GOAL

The Azzurri really 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, though, made amends six minutes later by angling home a near-post header from a fine cross by substitute Sebastian Giovinco to ensure Conte's team secured a second straight win in the group.

Italy are level at the top with Croatia, who won 1-0 in Bulgaria on Friday, with Norway second on three points after their 3-0 victory away to a Malta side who are bottom without a point behind Azerbaijan who also have yet to get off the mark.

"I couldn't really ask for more from the lads, apart from the lack of sharpness in finishing in front of goal," said Conte.

"Azerbaijan scored without having had a shot on goal but then we reacted well and showed we have something about us.

"These are the games that can catch you out -- where you create a lot and then they score against you with the first half-chance," added the former Juventus coach.

"They came here to stop us playing and to try to make the most of whatever we gave them. If we had got the early goal through Marchisio it could have been a very different game".