Italy beats Montenegro 2-1 in World Cup qualifier

Published Oct. 15, 2008 11:20 p.m. ET

foxsports

Alberto Aquilani hit his first two international goals Wednesday to lead an injury-hit Italy team to a 2-1 win over Montenegro that kept the defending champions top of their World Cup qualifying group.

The midfielder hit his goals in the eighth and 29th minutes at the Via del Mare stadium, with Montenegro captain Mirko Vucinic - Aquilani's teammate at AS Roma - briefly making it 1-1 in the 19th.

Another Roma player, Italy's Daniele De Rossi, hit the post with a header in the 64th.