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Alberto Aquilani bagged his first Italy brace to beat Montenegro 2-1, as Marcello Lippi matches the all-time Azzurri record. This is the tactician's 30th consecutive unbeaten match on the bench, equalling the run set by Vittorio Pozzo in the 1930s.
Lippi made only one change from the starting XI that was held to a goalless draw in Bulgaria last Saturday, introducing Alberto Aquilani for Riccardo Montolivo. Daniele De Rossi and Giuseppe Rossi recovered from fitness worries, but Luca Toni was suspended with Gigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, Andrea Pirlo, Fabio Grosso and Nicola Legrottaglie injured. Mirko Vucinic led the way in a stadium where he played for six years and Fiorentina talent Stevan Jovetic also featured for Montenegro.
There was a chance in the opening 30 seconds, as Antonio Di Natale's cross was poorly cleared and Andrea Dossena flashed an angled drive across the face of goal. 60 seconds later, it was Gennaro Gattuso whose strike skimmed the base of the upright.
A long free kick pinballed around the six-yard box until Poleksic managed to smother it right on the line. The goal was in the air and 10 seconds later Italy took the lead. It was an Udinese-created move, as Di Natale's cross-field pass found club teammate Simone Pepe, who rolled across for Aquilani to tap in from six yards. The Montenegrins were unlucky, as both a defender and a goalkeeper got a touch during the build-up, but could not prevent the swarming Azzurri players.
Vucinic was booked for dissent after a collision with Marco Amelia, but Montenegro were pushing to get back into it. A wayward Vucinic shot turned into a perfect assist for Zverotic at the back post, but Gianluca Zambrotta was on hand to clear off the line of an open goal.
It was a warning and soon after Vucinic equalised for the visitors. The Roma striker completed a classic counter-attack and smashed an angled drive that squirmed under Amelia's body. It was a very fast move and Vucinic gathered the ball on the halfway line.
Poleksic captured a deflected Giorgio Chiellini effort, then punched away both a Di Natale attempt and Aquilani half-volley follow-up. Montenegro were piling on the pressure, but it was Italy who restored their advantage with Aquilani's second of the match! A deflected Andrea Dossena cross found the Roma midfielder for a shot on the bounce, which took another touch off Tanasijevic to slot into the net.
Before this match, Aquilani had never scored for the senior Italy side in eight caps.
Di Natale put the ball in the back of the net, but it was correctly flagged offside, then Amelia flew to palm away a powerful Vucinic free kick from 20 metres. Gennaro Gattuso went into the book for a late tackle on Jovetic, his 19th yellow card in an Italy shirt.
A splendid Jovanovic tackle stopped Pepe in the penalty area on the stroke of half-time. Straight after the restart, Poleksic was at full stretch to get his fingertips to a Gianluca Zambrotta effort and Tanasijevic managed to stop Alberto Gilardino meeting the loose ball.
Aquilani surged forward and spread the play for Gilardino, who fired straight at the Montenegrin goalkeeper. Vucinic pounced on a horrible error from his Roma teammate De Rossi to test Amelia.
From the resulting corner Jovetic was left in acres of space and his deflected half-volley off Zambrotta brought a magnificent fingertip save out of Palermo goalkeeper Amelia.
Pepe curled over from Gilardino's assist and the Fiorentina striker also went on a mazy solo run to earn a corner. Lippi made his first substitution, introducing Daniele Bonera for Dossena.
There was a wonderful opportunity to extend the Azzurri's lead, but an Aquilani cross found De Rossi's diving header to thump the back post from six yards. It was goal hero Aquilani's final contribution, as he made way for Roma teammate Simone Perrotta.
Another Vucinic free kick shook the side-netting with Amelia well beaten. A minute later Fiorentina starlet Jovetic skimmed the other post from the D.
Lippi had pledged to field Giuseppe Rossi in this match, but instead opted for Fabio Quagliarella as his final substitution. The entire Udinese front line was not given a chance to shine at international level, as it was Di Natale who made way for Quagliarella. He had been called as an emergency replacement when Toni picked up a ban.
De Rossi unleashed a screamer from 30 metres that stung Poleksic's palms, then another splendid free kick from the Roma man was punched out from beneath the bar.
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