Gianluigi Buffon was unhappy with Italy’s 2-0 victory against lowly Malta at the Ta’ Qali stadium, citing a poor performance and difficult playing conditions. Two goalsfrom in-form striker Mario Balotelli ensured that the Azzurri maintained its three-point lead at the top of UEFA World Cup qualifying Group B, where Italy still has a game in hand onsecond-place Bulgaria.
Buffon, who stopped a Michael Mifsud penalty following Balotelli’s opener, noted that the Italians were forced to endure a frustrating evening.”There were some difficult playing conditions, as it was very windy and the field was extremely wet,” he said. “Plus if there isn’t 100 percent focus and concentration, then you are goingto run into trouble.”
The Juventus goalkeeper added: “I wasn’t the only one who got angry, as we all did. These situations happen when there are games that aren’t high profile.It is a characteristic (we have) had for years, as we always seem to leave it open for ourselves, our fans and our opponents. The penalty was an incident, but added to the other five or six chances itshowed it was not a walk in the park. Those no longer exist in soccer, especially away from home.”