Italy didn’t have an inspired game against Northern Ireland. Still, they did enough to win the game and progress through to the final of their path in the UEFA playoffs to see if they can return to the World Cup after a long absence.
Italy opened the deadlock in the second half thanks to a missile shot by Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, then Moise Kean scored the dagger. Now, Italy will face Bosnia and Herzegovina, who defeated Wales in a penalty shootout. This is the 2026 World Cup Draw and how many UEFA teams will qualify.
Italy didn’t suffer much in the defensive side of things, but their attack was a bit lackluster. There is a clear disconnection from the midfield to the forwards, given that Nicolo Barella wasn’t having much involvement in the ball distribution. However, Northern Ireland wasn’t up to par.
Gattuso’s management wasn’t prolific
When Gattuso was appointed as the Italy manager, many questioned his resume. However, the Italian Federation wanted someone with a strong character, which Gattuso has. Still, his substitutions ended up proving the doubters somewhat right.
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso
Gattuso didn’t have the best performance, as he kept Barella for way longer than he should’ve, as well as lining up Alessandro Bastoni when he wasn’t fully fit to play. He ended up substituting Bastoni as there was no reason to keep him in the game since Northern Ireland weren’t attacking much.
Bosnia and Herzegovina present a different challenge than what Northern Ireland had
Bosnia and Herzegovina is an old, but experienced squad that has a lot of heart. Italy will get more rest than them as they had to go 120 minutes plus the penalty shootout to earn their spot in this game. Bosnia will be the home side though, so Italy will have to overcome hostile environment if they want to go back to their rightful place as a World Cup team.
