Solid Italy kick off with a win in Norway

• Simone Zaza breaks the deadlock with his first international goal
• Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci adds a second to secure victory
• UEFA EURO 2012 runners-up start their Group H campaign with a win in Oslo in Antonio Conte's first competitive fixture in charge
• Norway extend winless run to seven matches since beating Moldova in January
• Next games: Italy v Azerbaijan, Malta v Norway (10 October)

Italy made a winning start to UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying with an ultimately comfortable Group H win against Norway in Oslo, thanks to Simone Zaza's deflected effort and a Leonardo Bonucci header.

Norway showed no sign of nerves early on, with Joshua King receiving a lot of the ball and leading their line effectively. The guests, on the other hand, appeared happy operating on the counterattack with Emanuele Giaccherini at the forefront of their forays, but they were on the back foot when King and Håvard Nordtveit both missed the target with good opportunities.

Nordtveit's next intervention was an unfortunate one as he inadvertently deflected Zaza's shot inside Ørjan Håskjold Nyland's near post. It was the US Sassuolo Calcio forward's first goal in only his second game for Italy.

It also took the wind out of Norway's sails and allowed Italy to dictate the tempo of the match, waiting patiently for opportunities to strike again. Giaccherini used one of those to sting the palms of Nyland, albeit without working the Norway custodian too hard.

The visitors dropped the tempo even further in the second half, almost enticing Norway forwards, before hitting them with a sucker punch. Manuel Pasqual, on the field for less than a minute, delivered a cross that was an open invitation for the unmarked Bonucci to head in from close range.

Zaza almost added a third when his effort rattled the crossbar, with Alessandro Florenzi's header on the rebound saved by Nyland. Vegard Forren denied Zaza with a goal-line clearance late on, but Italy had already secured the points.