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Roberto Mancini's Italy were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw against Bulgaria in Florence in their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
Federico Chiesa gave the Azzurri the lead with a sumptuous finish in the 16th minute from the edge of the box. However, Bulgaria's Atanas Iliev restored parity near the half-time mark.
Although Italy were unable to find a winner, Roberto Mancini's men are still brilliantly poised to finish top of their group. They also extended their unbeaten streak to 35 games and haven't lost a game since September 2018. This is a feat matched only by Spain (2007-09) and Brazil (1993-96).
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The European Champions are just one step away from making history. All they need to do is avoid defeat against Switzerland in their next match on Sunday (September 5). On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for Mancini's men from the match:
Italy player ratings
Gianluigi Donnarumma - 6/10
Donnarumma had very little to do for most of the game as Bulgaria rarely attacked the Italy box. He made only one save throughout the 90 minutes but had little to no chance of saving the shot that led to Bulgaria's equalizer.
Alessandro Florenzi - 6/10
Florenzi struggled to provide the much-needed spark down the right flank. He offered close to nothing for much of the game in attack and in defense. Florenzi was hooked off in the 64th minute, having made two tackles, won one foul, and he completed 90.2% of his passes.
Leonardo Bonucci - 8/10
The Juventus man put in a leader-like performance at the heart of the Azzurri defense. Bonucci showed excellent positional awareness, read the game brilliantly and played the ball out from the back confidently. He completed 93.4% of his passes, made two tackles and also registered two key passes.
Francesco Acerbi - 8/10
Acerbi was on top of his game for Italy against Bulgaria. He showcased his on-the-ball ability to the fullest, taking on players comfortably a couple of times. Acerbi managed an impressive 97% passing accuracy and completed six long balls, proving to be an asset in build-up play for Italy.
Emerson Palmieri - 7/10
The 27-year-old covered a lot of ground up and down the left flank. Emerson was impressive at both ends of the pitch as he handled his defensive duties effortlessly, while also joining the attack at times. He knitted together a few good passes with his teammates but there was nothing of note. Emerson completed the game with two key passes, one shot, one tackle and won two fouls as well.
Nicolo Barella - 7/10
Highly effective and intelligent in his passing, Barella also made a few good driving runs down Italy's right flank. He had the Bulgarian players on their toes throughout the 64 minutes he was on the pitch. Barella laid out three key passes and also made four tackles in addition to completing 86.4% of his passes.
Jorginho - 8/10
Jorginho provided the display one would expect from a player of his present stature. The newly crowned UEFA Men's Player of the Year was without a doubt Italy's best player on the night. He created four chances for his side, whilst also completing 91.3% passes in the opposition half. Jorginho also managed to make two tackles.
Marco Verratti - 8/10
Verratti showcased an adept reading of the game and kept the play ticking with neat and accurate passes. He also managed to create a couple of chances for his teammates, recording three key passes. It was a truly well-rounded performance from Verratti as he racked up 110 successful passes and also won six out of his seven duels.
Federico Chiesa - 8/10
Back on familiar turf, the former Florentina man made an immediate impact as he gave Italy the lead with a brilliant solo effort in the 16th minute. Chiesa's willingness to run at defenders, coupled with his excellent off-the-ball movement, caused all sorts of problems for the Bulgarian defense. He finished the game with six shots (two on target), three key passes and an 88.9% passing accuracy. Chiesa also won two fouls.
Ciro Immobile - 6/10
It was a surprisingly quiet outing for the Lazio man as he struggled to get involved in play for most of the game. Guilty of scuffing a few good chances, Immobile was rightly taken off for Giacomo Raspodori in the 74th minute. During his time on the pitch, the forward managed four shots and had three on target, but couldn't find the net.
Lorenzo Insigne - 7/10
The Napoli man put up a diligent performance for Italy, linking up well with the other Italy forwards. Insigne's off-the-ball movements were impressive and he combined well with the midfield at times. He managed five shots (two on target), registered two key passes and also made a tackle. Although his overall play was good, Insigne missed a glorious chance to put his side ahead late in the first half.
Italy Substitutes
Bryan Cristante - 5/10
Coming on for Barella in the 64th minute, the midfielder was off the pace of the game right from the start. Cristante conjured just nine passes and lost all three of his duels.
Rafael Toloi - 6/10
Toloi was crucial in keeping Italy pushing in the dying moments. After coming on for Florenzi in the 64th minute, he kept the play ticking for Italy with his accurate passes from the back.
Domenico Berardi - 6/10
Berardi came on in the 74th minute to replace Insigne. He stringed together some good passes with his teammates but there was nothing much to write home about.
Giacomo Raspodori - 6/10
A few good off the ball runs from the youngster, but did not leave much of an impact. A decent cameo nevertheless from Raspodori, who came on in the 75th minute to replace Immobile.
Lorenzo Pellegrini - N/A
Pellegrini replaced Emerson in the 90th minute for Italy and did not have enough time to make any real impact on the game.
