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Game seven of Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy tenure eventually delivered comfort. In number eight, he will look to end the painful wait of a nation by returning his country to the World Cup for the first time since 2014. Northern Ireland’s future, a bright one with this young squad, means looking towards Euro 2028. This was a campaign too soon.
Gattuso has a stated aim of making World Cup impact, not simply qualifying. There were long spells in this playoff when the coach’s aspirations felt ludicrous. Perhaps Italy laboured, especially in the first half, under expectation. Yet it is an undoubted truism that they will require a huge uplift in performance level to feature prominently in the summer. Italy edged rather than swaggered towards their meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Only the brave will call the outcome of that. “We have to win, we have no other choice,” said Gattuso. “We are playing a team full of experienced players. It will be another hugely challenging match.”
Italy’s players are due credit for taking on board whatever half-time message Gattuso delivered. He has lost only one of his septet of matches in charge. For a team that had somehow lost its ability even to grind out results, that matters. Nonetheless, the paucity of Italy’s first 45 minutes should not be ignored.
Fans lined the streets to cheer the Italian team as they arrived at the Stadio di Bergamo. Gattuso would have been well aware of the likely scale of reaction upon exiting in the event of defeat. The 48-year-old wore the look of a man well aware of the burden of expectation as he completed pre-match media duties. Not only was the absence from a third World Cup in succession an unthinkable concept but a loss to the team ranked 67th among international teams be a further, serious blow to Italian self-esteem. Northern Ireland looked highly favourable opposition; Michael O’Neill was already without Conor Bradley and Daniel Ballard before Ali McCann failed to recover from injury in time to feature in Bergamo. Sandro Tonali, who missed Newcastle’s weekend loss to Sunderland, returned to take his spot in the Italy midfield. That was to prove significant.
Early Italian vim was no surprise. It also proved brief. Pierce Charles saved well from Federico Dimarco, with the visitors scrambling the ball clear before a player in blue could pounce on the loose ball. Northern Ireland responded with a menacing set play; somehow, nobody connected with Justin Devenny’s corner. Italy jabbed back as Paddy McNair’s perfectly timed tackle denied Moise Kean a half volley at goal. Northern Ireland’s growing comfort in the game was demonstrated in the 20th minute as Ethan Galbraith burst from midfield. Galbraith’s error was in trying to shoot himself rather than play in the marauding Isaac Price.
Gattuso had claimed the patience of supporters in Bergamo – supposedly those in Milan and Rome have shorter fuses – would assist his team. While there were no moans and groans, the subdued backdrop told a story. This did not feel like a high stakes occasion. Italy were failing to convince. Manuel Locatelli charging 30 yards to flatten Shea Charles summed up home frustrations. Northern Ireland achieved their aim of reaching the interval at least level. Ripples of applause for the Italians were generous. “We were too predictable,” Gattuso admitted. “I was angry.”
Italy were handed a golden opportunity seven minutes after the restart. Terry Devlin’s backpass was woefully short, allowing Mateo Retegui a clear run at goal. In summing up so much that had come before, the striker took a heavy touch which allowed Pierce Charles to rescue the situation for Northern Ireland.
Weirdly, Retegui’s wastefulness roused Italy. Pierce Charles saved well from Kean. Tonali displayed a necessary level of ruthlessness, with a terrific low drive from 18 yards after Price’s headed clearance dropped at his feet. Now Northern Ireland were in precisely the position they wanted to avoid. Gattuso had leapt with relief rather than joy.
Kean should have settled matters 25 minutes from time but drove tamely at Pierce Charles. Italy had improved and starkly after the break yet ghosts of botched campaigns past seemed to linger. O’Neill’s replacing of Devlin with the attack-minded Paul Smyth implied Northern Ireland still sensed Italian vulnerability.
Italy instead opted to extinguish all visiting hope. Tonali, who excelled from the point of his goal, flicked the ball high and towards Kean. The forward cut inside Ruairi McConville, his left-foot shot ending up in the Northern Ireland net via a post.
Typically, Northern Ireland closed with spirit. This may well be the closing scene on O’Neill’s competitive time in charge, with Blackburn Rovers presumably of a mind to extend his stay at Ewood Park beyond the summer. “The average age of that team was 22, which is incredibly positive,” said O’Neill. “It took until the 90th minute for Italy to feel safe.” Onwards for Italy; to a sterner test in more inhospitable surroundings.
