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Key events
50 min: Tonali crosses from the right. Kean can’t connect. The ball’s half-cleared to Calafiori, who under instruction from an anxious crowd takes a whack from distance. The ball bobbles through to Pierce Charles.
49 min: Bastoni miskicks a simple clearance. Then Donnarumma nearly allows Donley to close him down. The home fans do not enjoy this passage of play. Nerves the top note.
48 min: Some head tennis on the edge of the Italy box. Hume brings the ball under control, sort of, juggling it a la Best before looping a volley over the bar. And well wide.
46 min: Tonali bumbles his way down the left wing and falls over in the general environs of Hume. He claims a free kick that he’s never going to get. Gennaro Gattuso throws his arms open wide in the performative fashion. A bit early for all this.
Italy get the second half started. No changes. “Great to see Gianfranco Zola on the BBC TV coverage,” writes Andrew Goudie. “One of my favourite players ever. How did he only get 35 caps for Italy?”
Half-time postbag. “I think Michael O’Neill is a terrific international manager (can’t speak to his work at clubs) and I’d love to see him at a post where he had more to work with – maybe someplace such as the Czech Republic, or Morocco, or even Uruguay once Bielsa’s time passes, as it always seems to” – Brad Wilson
“I once took a holiday let in Bergamo – absolutely lovely city, and I had a very pleasant time, thank you. Anyway: my flat was three floors up, and the landlord very carefully explained to me, at some length, how the lift worked. My Italian was of the rudimentary food-ordering variety, so the finer details passed me by. It turned out that the lift for some obscure reason only had enough juice for a certain number of trips throughout the day, and if you were unlucky enough to arrive after the ration had been expended, you had to take the stairs. My misfortune was to get in the damn thing just on the cusp of it running out of power, hence a longish period in the doldrums to the locals’ amusement. There may be some moral here for the Northern Ireland team; we shall see” – Charles Antaki
Half-time reading. Just so we know where everyone is.
HALF TIME: Italy 0-0 Northern Ireland
The hosts depart to a few whistles and a lot of concerned muttering. A third successive qualification failure still a very real possibility. Northern Ireland will be delighted, though they’ll also be aware that Estonia held Italy here at the break last autumn, and went on to lose 5-0.
45 min +1: Retegui can’t get a shot away from a tight angle on the right. Northern Ireland counter, and Donley drags a shot wide right. This is getting very scrappy, and it will surely suit the visitors more than the hosts.
45 min: A brouhaha in the middle of the park as Galbraith slides in on Mancini. It could be a booking, but isn’t. Bastoni arrives on the scene and tries to take Donley by the throat. The referee, livid, splits everyone apart and issues an animated bollocking. But no card. Everyone involved slightly fortunate.
44 min: A bit of space for Devlin, 30 yards from goal. He should feed Hume to his right, but takes a whack himself. Wrong decision. Then another wrong decision from the young Pompey man, who hoicks a cross from the right out for a goal kick. Again he had options in the middle.
42 min: Politano has looked fairly lively, to be fair. He turns on the jets and makes good down the right, winning yet another Italian corner. Dimarco whips viciously to the near post, where Bastoni flicks inches over the bar. That would have certainly worked Pierce Charles had it been on target.
40 min: Tonali shovels a pass down the inside-right channel in the hope of releasing Mancini into a pocket of space. McNair comes across to snuff out the move. The Italians are creating very little.
38 min: Italy, out of ideas for now at least, knock it long. Kean battles to make something out of very little, and from the right-hand edge of the D, lashes high and wide. It’s an effort at least. Italy haven’t had many of them.
36 min: Donnarumma clanks a simple pass out of play for a throw down the right. From the throw, McNair sends a curler into the Italian mixer. McConville competes for a header, eight yards out, but Politano clears. A suggestion of handball, but like the Italian enquiry earlier, there’s nothing in it.
34 min: … but the throw, when it’s eventually taken, leads to a corner down the right. And from that, Bastoni’s header is deflected wide by Spencer. Another corner leads to a free kick, which again releases the pressure. But Italy are starting to apply it with regularity again.
33 min: Italy are certainly getting frustrated. Price stops Barella gathering the ball for a quick throw, slapping it away from his hand. Barella had shoved Price seconds before. Some beneficial advice from the referee as both men square up. Everyone simmers down soon enough.
32 min: Tonali crosses from the left but Kean heads harmlessly wide. Pierce Charles takes his sweet time over the goal kick, much to the annoyance of the home fans. We’re at this point already, it would seem.
30 min: This corner leads to some bedlam, but Kean can’t work enough space to shoot, and eventually the ball clanks off the referee, who is obliged to stop play. A slightly lucky break for Northern Ireland there, because they were struggling to clear their lines, and it was the first time Italy had looked dangerous for a wee while.
29 min: … but there’s absolutely nothing that’s happened there. VAR check over, in short order. But Italy come again, winning another corner, this time down the right.
28 min: Politano crosses long from the right. Dimarco controls and wins a corner with a volley from a tight angle. The set piece is sent into the mixer. Donley hacks clear, but then there’s a VAR check for a possible handball, the Italians having made a loud claim …
27 min: Galbraith looks for Donley down the right. A bit too much on the pass. Goal kick. But the visitors continue to ask a few questions. “Hi, or should I say Ciao, from Naples where my friends and sons are eager to see Italy qualify for the World Cup after recent failures,” writes Colum Fordham. “I’ve been impressed by my favourite Italy players, both left-footed, Politano (who is a key player in our local Napoli team) and the excellent left wing back Dimarco who came close to scoring with a characteristically blistering shot. Northern Ireland are playing with admirable verve but I’m sure Italy have the quality to prevail. Famous last words or tempting fate, forse (perhaps).”
26 min: Devenny and Galbraith take turns to hassle the Italian back line. The defenders win out, but still to the soundtrack of worried mutter. Northern Ireland will be delighted to hear it.
24 min: “Shall we sing a song for you?” chorus the travelling Northern Ireland fans. Italian nerves beginning to kick in already, all right.
22 min: Italy pass and probe. No way through. Barella, deep on the left, swings a diagonal to … nobody in particular. Goal kick. Barella guilty of trying to force it. Gennaro Gattuso’s brow folds up in the anxious style.
20 min: Mancini slips, allowing Galbraith to steam into space down the middle. He’s got Price in space to his left, but opts to shoot himself. He’s within his rights, but doesn’t make much of a fist of the job, the ball bobbling through to Donnarumma. But that’s a shot on target, and another moment of concern for the long-suffering Italian support.
19 min: Shea Charles races after a long pass down the left. Mancini knocks out for a throw, instead of passing back to Donnarumma. Hume flings into the mixer. Some head tennis. Galbraith eventually concedes a foul to release the pressure on Italy. On the touchline, Michael O’Neill looks happy enough.
18 min: Locatelli sends Politano into space down the right. Politano wins a corner, but the flag goes up for offside. This is pretty frantic.
17 min: Barella’s turn to launch a speculative pass down the right. Kean nearly gets on the end of it, but McNair comes across to clear just as the striker pulled his leg back, preparing to shoot.
16 min: Northern Ireland are winning their fair share of balls in the middle of the park. They’ve done a decent job of keeping the home fans quiet.
15 min: Galbraith sends a speculative ball down the right. Calafiori miscontrols and concedes a needless corner. And from that set piece, a huge chance, Devenny whipping the corner in, McConville mistiming his leap six yards out, and missing out on the chance to connect with a header. A collective sharp intake of breath around the stadium as that ball flashed across the Italian goalmouth.
13 min: Shea Charles slips a pass down the right in the hope of releasing Devenny. Just a bit too much zip on the ball, and Devenny can’t control. But that’s better from the visitors, who are showing a bit in attack now. And the home fans are quick to fall silent when they get on the ball.
11 min: Spencer half-slaps Politano in the face. Play continues, and Northern Ireland are on the attack, through Price down the inside-left channel … but then the referee decides to stop play for the head injury. Michael O’Neill isn’t happy, the referee having let play go on for a bit. Which, to be fair, he probably shouldn’t have done.
10 min: Dimarco takes a short corner. One-two. Then a curler into the box. It’s half cleared. Donley stands his ground on the edge of the D and is bundled over by Locatelli. The visitors survive again.
9 min: Politano curls a low cross in from the right. McConville is forced to swing a leg and slice the ball out for another Italy corner.
7 min: … and now there’s some pinball in the Northern Ireland box. Dimarco shoots low and hard from the left. Pierce Charles gets down to parry. The ball clanks off Retegui but doesn’t quite drop to Tonali. Had it done so, he’d have been slotting from six yards. Northern Ireland already hanging on a bit.
6 min: Italy, buoyed by that, come again. Dimarco crosses from the left. A deflection off Devlin nearly sends the ball into the left-hand side of the goal. Pierce Charles adjusts well to bat it around the post, and nothing comes of the set piece. But this is a fast start by Italy.
5 min: The corner’s hit long from the right. Tonali, of all players, rises highest to win a header on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. He sends the ball on a diagonal arc that only just sails wide of the top-right corner. Not sure Pierce Charles was getting back to that. A goal had it been on target.
4 min: A free kick for Northern Ireland out on the right. McNair floats it into the mixer. McConville competes but shoves Bastoni over. It’s a free kick, albeit a soft one. Italy go straight up the other end, Kean entering the Irish box and winning the first corner of the evening with a deflected shot. And from the corner …
2 min: What Italy would give for Savoldi tonight. The world’s first million-pound player when he left Bologna for Napoli in 1975.
Northern Ireland get the ball rolling. A long pass down the left. McConville flicks on but Donnarumma gathers. The atmosphere is intense all right!
“Ciao Beppe.” Before kick-off, a minute of silence in honour of former Atalanta, Bologna, Napoli and Italy striker Giuseppe Savoldi, who passed away today at the age of 79.
The players take to the field of play … and yep, the atmosphere is bubbling away, real savage-cauldron-like. Anthems. You all know God Save the King. Italy’s is a proper banger, though, and 23,000 blue-scarf-waving Italians – scarves courtesy of the Italian federation – belt it out. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!
Tonight’s game is being played at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia, Bergamo, the home of Atalanta. Italy have never lost here, ever since beating Turkey 7-1 in 1964. They’ve since beaten Malta 5-0 in 1987, drawn 1-1 with Turkey in 2006, drawn 1-1 with the Netherlands in 2020, and thrashed Estonia 5-0 last September. That last one was Gennaro Gattuso’s first game as Italy coach, the hosts going in goalless at the break yet still applauded by the locals, a courtesy that went down well with the new boss. “I chose the stadium,” says Gattuso explained. “I believe that when you go to a stadium like San Siro, there are Inter and Milan fans, and they might start booing after a few wrong passes. Playing in a smaller stadium will likely give us a better atmosphere. We hope to create a real cauldron-like atmosphere.”
Michael O’Neill talks to the BBC. “With the players we have unavailable, the most important thing was to put as much running power and athleticism in the team … that’s what we’ve tried to do … Brodie Spencer on the left hand side … Justin [Devenny] in a midfield area … [Ali McCann] did everything possible to be fit but unfortunately didn’t make it … we’re young … they’re ready for the occasion, I believe they are … [Jamie Donley] played well in the Luxembourg game … he’s a different proposition from the other strikers we have … he’ll drop into areas and will be difficult for them to play against … a young player with high potential … we know what type of game it is … we’re obviously going to have to be very disciplined … very good out of possession … but we can also cause them problems … particularly in transition … running power … get up the pitch … retain the ball … we have the players to cause them problems … we’re obviously delighted to be here at this stage of the competition but we want to go the next step … there’s a steely determination … confidence … belief … a young team with everything to gain and hopefully they can take that next step.”
Pre-match postbag. “Northern Ireland perfectly anagrams into ‘lend a ninth error’. Italy have played eight matches so far in this World Cup qualification campaign. Just saying” – krishnamoorthy v
“It’s gli Azzurri v Norn Iron, Andrea Bocelli v Van Morrison, La Dolce Vita v In the Name of the Father, cappuccino and cornetto v Ulster fry. No matter what happens, I’m sure Italia boss Gennaro Gattuso will set a shining example of calm, dignity and respect” – Peter Oh
“This could be real fun. Norn Iron shorn of some top players, all down to the backup now. Italy happy to have Tonali back, but given how ‘well’ Newcastle have been performing recently this could be good or bad news. I don’t think this will make the slightest difference to O’Neill’s game plan. I’m on for a 0-1, any takers ? Should I get down the bookies’ sharpish?” – Jeremy Boyce
“Imagine failing to qualify for three World Cups in a row, eh? What a shower. More seriously, I still remember Scotland getting done in a Euro qualifying playoff against Italy by a goal resulting from an absolute joke of a dive in 2007; so, and somewhat to my own surprise, ‘mon the six counties!” – James Humphries (who is referring to the match covered in the MBM that follows, and appears to be still registering B on the old GUARDIAN UNLIMITED PATENTED FUNK-O-METER®)
Pennant Watch. Here’s the slightly fussy trinket Gianluigi Donnarumma will be handing over before kick-off …
… and the much calmer effort he’ll get back in return from Trai Hume. Italy will play in House of Savoy blue, with Northern Ireland in second-choice white.
Northern Ireland – who already knew they had to do without two of their biggest stars in captain Conor Bradley and defender Daniel Ballard – are also missing Ali McCann in midfield. The Preston midfielder hasn’t recovered in time from an injury picked up recently against Coventry City. Ballard’s Sunderland team-mate Trai Hume assumes captaincy duties. It’s a young team, with only Paddy McNair, 31 next month, over the age of 24. Eight are 22 or under.
Italy meanwhile are buoyed by the news that Sandro Tonali is fit to start. Riccardo Calafiori comes back into the side, while Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui pair up at the sharp end.
The teams
Italy: Donnarumma, Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori, Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco, Kean, Retegui.
Subs: Carnesecchi, Meret, Palestra, Spinazzola, Buongiorno, Raspadori, Pisilli, Esposito, Cristante, Frattesi, Gatti, Scalvini.
Northern Ireland: Pierce Charles, Hume, McNair, McConville, Devlin, Shea Charles, Galbraith, Devenny, Spencer, Price, Donley.
Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Hazard, Toal, Atcheson, Saville, Marshall, Kelly, Smyth, Lyons, Reid, Magennis, Brown.
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
Preamble
“Bout ye, Italy?” To which the only honest answer is surely: we’ve felt better. Because while Italy go into tonight’s 2026 World Cup qualification semi-final with a 100-percent record at home to Northern Ireland, they have demons, baggage, and demons carrying baggage containing demons.
You see, the Azzurri are living in ABJECT FEAR OF FAILING TO QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD CUP FINALS FOR THE THIRD SUCCESSIVE TIME, and the implications of that for the four-time winners don’t bear thinking about. And while they’re hot favourites to clear this hurdle tonight, they were hot favourites to see off Sweden in these play-offs for Russia 2018, and hot favourites at home against North Macedonia for Qatar 2022, and look what happened there. So nobody’s taking anything for granted. Oh, and those aforementioned qualification disasters were only the second and third time Italy had ever failed to reach the World Cup finals. The first, back in 1958? Well that particular blow was dealt by …
… Northern Ireland! Of course it was. Settle down, children, and allow me to plagiarise myself tell you a story.
The Italian national team had a hard time of it for quite a while after the war. The 1948 Superga crash, which wiped out Torino, effectively did for the Azzurri too. A depleted team made their way to Brazil for the 1950 World Cup, but only by boat, understandably fearful of air travel. Knackered and unfit coming off the ship, they almost immediately got themselves knocked out. They travelled home by plane.
The 1954 tournament in Switzerland ended abruptly with a 4-1 trouncing at the hands of the hosts. Chile in 1962 was all about the shame of Santiago, though that was nothing on the humiliation North Korea heaped on them in 1966. After which the team won Euro 68 and made it to the final of the 1970 World Cup. All better, then, but by lord those two decades were quite the haul.
Italy only once failed to qualify for the World Cup during that 20-year nadir. (They’d made it to all the others with the exception of the very first one in 1930, a jamboree they didn’t bother to attend, in a fit of pique at being looked over for hosting duties in favour of Uruguay.) That blemish, the first on their qualification record, came in the 1958 series when their side – containing Uruguay’s 1950 stars Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia – were bundled out of the competition by a formidable Northern Ireland team not short of a few decently sized names itself in Danny Blanchflower, Harry Gregg and Peter McParland.
The manner of Italy’s exit was nothing short of farcical. The teams were due to play the decisive qualifier at Windsor Park in early December 1957. A victory for the Irish would send them through; Italy needed a draw to put them in a position where a home win in their final game over a dismal Portugal would fire them to the finals in Sweden instead. But referee Istvan Zsolt had been held up en route from Hungary to Belfast by fog in London, and only a local official could be found to replace him. Five minutes before kick-off, it was announced that the game would only be a friendly, causing much bristling in the crowd who, according to the Guardian, seemed “unlikely to forget what they considered to be the intractability of the Italians over match arrangements and left no doubt that they felt they should have agreed to a British referee”. Aye, right you are.
And in fairness, the Italians had a point. Their keeper Ottavio Bugatti was knocked from pillar to post by the likes of McParland, who had form for this sort of nonsense, as those who recall the 1957 FA Cup final would testify. In the final minute of a 2-2 draw, Guiseppe Chiapella leapt at McParland after one charge too many, and was sent off. Not that the Italians had been saints themselves, mind, Chiapella, Schiaffino and Rino Ferrario all taking turns to throw hands in the determined style. At the final whistle, thousands of spectators flooded the field of play with a view to raising Cain. Ferrario was sent crashing to the floor and had to be carted back to the dressing room unconscious.
As it transpired, that result would have been enough for the Italians, who went on to beat Portugal 3-0 before Christmas. But decisions are decisions, and they were forced to go again. In the New Year, the rescheduled qualifier in Belfast was played, and the Irish stormed into a two-goal lead by half-time, Jimmy McIlroy and Wilbur Cush with the goals. Dino Da Costa bundled one back for Italy shortly after the break, but the ghig was up for Italy when Ghiggia, of all folk, was sent off with 25 minutes to go for a physical disagreement with Alf McMichael. Ireland were through, Italy were out, and what an end to a World Cup career for poor Ghiggia, the man who scored the most dramatic and far-reaching goal the tournament has ever seen.
But history is one thing, and the present something else entirely. This should be a home banker. Having said that, Italy were thrashed 4-1 at home by Norway in their previous match, while Northern Ireland are coming off the back of a 1-0 win over Luxembourg, all of which proves (a) Erling Haaland is one heck of a player, (b) you can only beat who are put in front of you, and (c) a win for the Green and White Army would be seismic. Kick-off is at 7.45pm GMT. It’s on!
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