Italy travelled to Azerbaijan on Saturday knowing that three points in the Group H clash would book their spot at Euro 2016.
The visitors took the lead in the 11th minute when Eder finished from close range, but a Dimitrij Nazarov strike in the 31st minute left the two countries on terms.
That was not the end of the first-half scoring, however, as Stephan El Shaarawy made it 2-1 Italy in the 43rd minute.
Matteo Darmian then added a third for the Italians in the 65th minute as Antonio Conte's team made sure of their place at next summer's showpiece event in France.
Azerbaijan, meanwhile, whose four-game unbeaten run in qualifying came to an end in Baku, finished with 10 men following a late red card for defender Badavi Huseynov.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute commentary of the action below.
AZERBAIJAN: Agayev; Dashdemirov, Sadygov, Huseynov, Medvedev; Nazarov, Amirguliyev, Eddy, Garayev, Ismayilov; Gurbanov
ITALY: Buffon; Darmian, Bonucci, Chiellini, De Sciglio; Candreva, Verratti, Parolo, El Shaarawy; Pelle, Eder
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