Saturday 29 April 2017, 21:36

Italy win back-and-forth encounter

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  • Italy are in first place in Group B

  • Gabriele Gori's brace brings him to eight goals this tournament and top of the scoring chart

  • Italy next game: vs Mexico, Iran next game: vs Nigeria, both on 1 May

Italy beat Iran 5-4 in a wild, back-and-forth encounter to go top of Group B at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017.

The Italians took the lead through current tournament top scorer Gabriele Gori, who guided in a close-range effort with his chest. Asian champions Iran then responded with three unanswered goals. The pick of the bunch was Moslem Mesigar's spectacular overhead kick that gave the Iranians a 3-1 lead.

Gori then scored his eighth goal in two games to bring the Azzurri back within one goal and his strike seemed to give Massimo Agostini's side the lift they needed to ultimately win the match and do something the country has never managed in their tournament history: win after being two goals down.

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