Good morning, my friends! Here are the front pages from the Italian newspapers La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and Tutto Sport, Tuesday 16 November 2021
La Gazzetta dello Sport, Front Page, Tuesday 16 November 2021.
Front Page, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tuesday 16 November
👉Between Italy and the World Cup again the playoff …
What a nightmare (but it’s not over)
Ugly draw in Belfast, Azzurri must try again in March
Swiss celebration
Mancini: “We’ll go to Qatar and maybe even win the title” pic.twitter.com/dkBmH25AOX
Corriere dello Sport, Front Page, Tuesday 16 November 2021 .
Front Page, Corriere dello Sport, Tuesday 16 November 2021
👉The 0-0 in Belfast condemns Italy to the playoffs: Switzerland go to Qatar (4-0 against Bulgaria)
Hanging by a thread
The Northern Ireland fortress holds out, very few goal opportunities for the Azzurri
Mancini … pic.twitter.com/89DpVCheLl
Tutto Sport, Front Page, Tuesday 16 November 2021.
Front Page Tutto Sport, Tuesday 16 November
👉Draw in Belfast, Azzurri to the playoffs
Another Italy is needed
We need a different Italy
Another 0-0, while Switzerland go wild with Bulgaria (4-0) and qualify for the World Cup
Il Ct: “In questo momento facciamo fatica a fare gol pur avendo il gioco in mano”. Berardi: “Dispiace non aver chiuso prima il girone. Al Mondiale ci teniamo tantissimo, riusciremo a qualificarci”…FIGC – Nazionali – news
Gli Azzurri non riescono a superare il muro eretto dall’Irlanda del Nord. A fine marzo bisognerà passare dagli spareggi per conquistare la qualificazione al Mondiale…FIGC – Nazionali – news
I padroni di casa, passati in vantaggio al 34’ del primo tempo, raddoppiano all’8’ della ripresa. Al 15’ Baldanzi accorcia le distanze, poi arriva il gol del 3-1…FIGC – Nazionali – news
📌 Italy failed the big test, a flop!! Italy needed to win the World Cup Qualifier game against Northern Ireland on Monday 15 November 2021 at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Italy failing to score even a goal while Switzerland defeated 4-0 Bulgaria earning the direct qualification as Group C Leader with 18 points while Italy remained in 2nd with 16 points. Tough draw considering Jorginho’s missed penalty against Switzerland making a world cup difference because we could have won that game and qualified.
✅ This is the current situation. Italy will have to battle to dream with the 2022 World Cup Qualification after failing to defeat Northern Ireland ending with a 0-0 draw. Italy will play the playoffs in March 2022 to dream with the qualification. The play-offs take place from March 24 to 29, 2022 with 10 group runners-up joined by the two best group winners from the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League overall ranking that have neither qualified directly as group winners nor entered the playoffs already as group runners up. The draw for the world play-off groups will take place on November 26, 2021, at 5 pm, in Zurich. The dates of the semifinals have already been established: they will be played on 24 and 25 March 2022 while on 28 and 29 March 2022 the three finals will be played.
✍️ Stats before the game. Italy have lost only one of 10 matches against Northern Ireland (1-2 in the qualifiers for the 1958 World Cup, played in Belfast), 7 wins, 2 draws.
Italy have never won an away match against Northern Ireland: so far three games all played in Belfast, in which the Italy have collected two draws and one defeat – 0-0 in the most recent, in October 2010, valid for the qualifiers for the Europeans.
Italy have won just two of their eight most recent games in all competitions (5D, 1L), 5-0 against Lithuania in September in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and 2-1 against Belgium in the UEFA Nations League.
👉FIFA World Cup Qualifier Group C, Italy leading with 15 points (after Matchday 8)
group c standing
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
For
Against
Goal difference
Points
Switzerland
8
5
3
0
15
2
13
18
🇮🇹 Italy
8
4
4
0
13
2
11
16
🇨🇭 Northern Ireland
8
2
3
3
6
7
-1
9
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
8
2
2
4
6
14
-8
8
🇱🇹 Lithuania
8
1
0
7
4
19
-15
3
🏆👉 Lineup NORTHERN IRELAND (4-1-4-1): Peacock-Farrell; Cathcart, Flanagan, J. Evans, Lewis; S. Davis; Dallas, McCann, Saville, Whyte; Magennis.
114 – Leonardo Bonucci equals today Giorgio Chiellini as the player with the sixth-most appearances in the history of the Italian National Team (114). Warriors.#irlandadelnorditaliapic.twitter.com/zPLZYZuU79
📺 Click the video to watch Northern Ireland – Italy highlights on Monday 15 November 2021
👉FIFA World Cup Qualifier Group C, Match Officials
Romanian Referee Istvan Kovacs will be assisted by Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Marinescu (ROU) and Assistant Referee 2: Ovidiu Artene (ROU). The Fourth Official will be Horațiu Feșnic (ROU). The VAR will be Bastian Dankert (GER). The AVAR will be Mike Pickel (GER) and Referee Assessor will be Robert Sedlacek (AUT).
🏆👉Northern Ireland vs Italy 🇮🇹, Match Officials
🗓️Monday 15 November 2021
🏟️National Football Stadium at Windsor Park
⏲️20:45
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Lyon), Gian Marco Ferrari (Sassuolo), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta);
By Anna Italia
