Italy edges Malta 1-0; Croatia routs Azerbaijan

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Italy labored to a 1-0 win at tiny Malta and Croatia crushed Azerbaijan 6-0 Monday as both squads remained perfect atop Group H of European Championship qualifying.

Southampton forward Graziano Pelle scored on his international debut with Italy, taking advantage of a loose ball inside the box following a corner in the 23rd minute.

Italy also hit the goal frame four times.

Both Malta and Italy ended with 10 men. Malta captain Michael Mifsud was shown a controversial direct red card for a foul on Alessandro Florenzi in the 27th even though replays showed there was hardly any foul at all.

Still, the 155th-ranked island nation put up stiff defensive resistance the rest of the way and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci was sent off for a last-man foul on Andre Schembri in the 73rd.

Bonucci will have to sit out against Croatia on Nov. 16 in Milan.

In Croatia, Ivan Perisic scored twice and Andrej Kramaric, Marcelo Brozovic, Luka Modric also added goals. Plus, there was an own goal from Rashad Sadygov

Also, Norway beat Bulgaria 2-1 with goals from Tarik Elyounoussi and Havard Nielsen.

Croatia and Italy lead with nine points each, Norway has six, Bulgaria three and Malta and Azerbaijan zero.

The top two finishers from the nine groups qualify automatically. The best third-placed team also qualifies automatically, and the other eight can qualify through a playoff.

The 29-year-old Pelle also has five goals in eight matches for Southampton this season and, at 1.94 meters (6-foot-4), gives Conte a physical presence inside the area.

Last season, Pelle scored 23 goals in 28 matches for Feyenoord in the Dutch league but was ignored by then-Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, who resigned after the Azzurri's first-round elimination from the World Cup.