The Italians were made to work hard for their 2-0 victory over Montenegro in the Balkans.

Italy overcame a strong challenge by Montenegro to stay top of their World Cup qualifying group. Goals by Andrea Pirlo and the debutant Giampaolo Pazzini were enough for the Azzurri to register a solid 2-0 victory.

Despite rarely coming under serious threat, the Italians certainly found life difficult, as their opponents proved that they are a quality nation, one that will continue to improve in the future.

The Azzurri boss Marcello Lippi was pleased with the performance of his players, especially in the second half, something that he made clear at the completion of the match.

“We did not play well in the first half tonight, however we remained disciplined and we earned the benefits,” Lippi confessed in an interview with Rai Sport.

“In the second half though, we played with personality and character, and we created many opportunities as a result.”

Italy play Ireland in Bari next week, where they will be hoping to attain another three points which would all but book their spot in next year’s World Cup.

“Now we have a two-point lead over Ireland, a team that we will play on Wednesday. We have a big chance to increase this advantage further," added Lippi.

The former Juve boss had a final comment to make with regard to Pazzini, a man who managed to score on his debut tonight.

Lippi said, “I am very pleased for him. I am very sorry for Di Natale, but I am very happy for Pazzini that in this great period he managed to score for his country."