Mancini’s national team fails to qualify directly: last chance in March
Italy drew 0-0 in Belfast against Northern Ireland and miss direct qualification for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The national team of coach Roberto Mancini, second in group C with 16 points, will have to try to qualify for the playoffs in March. Switzerland goes directly to the World Cup, first in the group with 18 points after the 4-0 victory with Bulgaria. Italy flops at the end of a test in which it creates little. The departure, with a dangerous initiative by Di Lorenzo, is deceiving. The blues produce little and do not sting, the first half slips away without jolts and without real opportunities.
The second half opens with an opportunity for the hosts: at 48 ‘Donnarumma is good at denying the goal to Saville. Traces of Italy at 64 ‘with the blast of the Church: left around, slightly wrong aim. Mancini tries to draw cards from the bench to change the game. Substitutions do not substantially produce effects, you have to wait 80 ‘to see a shot by Emerson towards the opponent’s goal.
At 90 ‘Northern Ireland is close to the bang. Washington dribbles Donnarumma and concludes, on the line saves Bonucci who avoids a knockout at this point irrelevant. Switzerland scores repeatedly and gets on the plane for Qatar. Italy, on the other hand, must wait for the draw for the playoffs and in March the last chance will be played.
PLAYOFF – Switzerland, first classified in group C, directly qualify for the World Cup. Italy will go to the playoffs scheduled for March. On November 26, the 3 groups will be drawn into which the 12 national teams still in contention will be divided. Each group will consist of 2 seeded and 2 unseeded. The crossed semifinals will define the 2 finalists, the winner of the decisive match of each group will go to the World Cup.
Source-www.adnkronos.com