The Italian national team continued to cling to its dream of returning to the World Cup finals, after successfully securing a spot in the final match of the European play-offs for the global competition, which will be held this summer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The “Azzurri” managed to achieve an important victory over Northern Ireland with two goals to nil in the match held in the semi-finals of this pathway. Italy’s squad decided the match in the second half after a goalless first half.
Sandro Tonali opened the scoring in the 56th minute, before Moise Kean extended the lead with a second goal in the 80th minute, securing his country’s advantage and placing a foot on the path to qualification.
The Italian national team will play the decisive match away from home, where they will face the winner of the Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina match next Tuesday, in a game that will determine who qualifies for the World Cup.
Italy found itself forced to play in the play-offs after finishing second in their qualifying group with 18 points, behind Norway, who qualified directly, despite achieving six wins and two losses.
In contrast, the Northern Ireland national team reached this stage after finishing third in their group, benefiting from their ranking in the UEFA Nations League, but they failed to match the strength of the Italian team in this encounter.
It is worth noting that the team that qualifies from this pathway will join Group B in the World Cup, alongside Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland, awaiting the completion of the qualified teams.
