JAKARTA - Italy managed to pass the first hurdle after eliminating Northern Ireland in the 2026 World Cup playoff semifinals. In the duel at the New Balance Stadium or Gewiss, Bergamo, Friday, March 27, 2026 WIB early morning, Italy won 2-0 through Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean's goals.
The match was not easy for Italy even though they were playing at home. Coach Gennaro Gattuso also admitted that Northern Ireland could not be underestimated. Moreover, Italy played with a heavy mental burden after failing to qualify for the World Cup twice. In this third attempt, they had to play a playoff after losing to Norway.
On paper, Northern Ireland can actually be overcome by Italy who have superior individual quality and experience. In addition, Gli Azzurri play at home. Even though the status as the host also gives an additional burden so that Gattuso chose a stadium with a smaller capacity than hosting his opponent at San Siro or the Olimpico.
The former coach of AC Milan and Napoli hopes that Italian fans will fully support Gianluigi Donnarumma et al. and do not want any suits or jeers from a small number of supporters who will still disturb the players' focus.
It was proven in the first 45 minutes, they were unable to break the North Ireland goal. Fortunately, the fans still supported the team under Gattuso and they finally rose in the second half by scoring two important goals.
The victory brought Italy through to the playoff final to face Bosnia-Herzegovina who eliminated Wales on penalties.
"It must be admitted that we really had difficulties. This is a game that is not easy at all. In fact, they were able to surprise us by making vertical passes. But we finally finished the match with a good result," said Gattuso as quoted by Football Italia.
"We are really aware that the match will be difficult. Especially when we play slowly. After the second half, we can play faster. Now we are focused on the final match," he said again.
In that match, Italy started badly because of mental pressure. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland, who played without any burden, enjoyed the match more. Manager Michael O'Neill himself brought down young players who were an average of 22.5 years old. Only Paddy McNair is 30 years old. Meanwhile, captain Conor Bradley, Liverpool's right back, was absent because he was still injured.
However, they were able to resist Italy who played offensively. Kean had threatened the Northern Ireland goal in the early minutes of the match.
Only his kick hit the opponent so that it turned and widened. Likewise, Tonali's header that greeted the corner kick also failed to reach the target.
Italy again put pressure on Northern Ireland to defend more. It was recorded that Federico Dimarco's hard kick could be stopped by goalkeeper Pierce Charles. Meanwhile, Tonali, who again got a good chance, still failed. This time, Trai Hume's defender brilliantly blocked the opportunity from the Newcastle United midfielder.
The Italian game was less aggressive and slow, making them unable to take advantage of every opportunity. Moreover, Northern Ireland managed to get out of the pressure and began to match the home team's game.
They threatened the Italian defense when Justin Devenny released a cross to the front of the goal. But none of his teammates welcomed the good opportunity.
Furthermore, midfielder Riccardo Calafiori managed to intercept Ethan Galbraith's shot. No goal was created and the score was still 0-0 at halftime.
Entering the second half, Italy played more aggressively by increasing the attack. The hosts also got chances through striker Mateo Retegui and Kean who failed to convert.
After many failed attempts, Italy finally managed to break the deadlock when Tonali broke the North Ireland goal in the 56th minute. He took advantage of the mistake of midfielder Isaac Price who was about to throw the ball. His header anticipating the cross fell at the feet of Tonali who immediately launched a first time shot that defeated goalkeeper Charles.
The 1-0 advantage made the Italian players able to get out of mental pressure. They began to enjoy the game and showed dominance over their opponents. Italy also actually had the opportunity to increase the lead in the 73rd minute. However, Kean's shot, which had already rolled into the goal, could still be thrown off by Hume.
Kean again got a chance. But his salto kick failed to go into the goal and still went wide. After failing to pass, Kean finally succeeded in fulfilling the target which increased Italy's lead in the 80th minute.
It started with a pass from Tonali to Kean. The Fiorentina striker managed to pass Ruairi McConville before defeating Charles. The score changed to 2-0 for Italy.
Italy continued to play offensively to add goals. Only their efforts did not bear fruit and closed the match with a two-goal lead. They are also preparing to face Bosnia in the final playoff match.
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