Italy vs North Macedonia

2022 - 3 - 24

Italy - North Macedonia - italy football

Why elimination vs. North Macedonia is a big deal and historic failure (unknown)

“Our aim is to win the World Cup," said Italy manager Roberto Mancini prior to the UEFA World Cup qualifying playoff of North Macedonia. "In order to do so, ...

Jorginho is 30 and has been a part of critical failures over the past half-decade. After his high-profile error in PSG's capitulation to Real Madrid just weeks earlier in the Champions League, it's fair to suggest he is struggling to carry the weight of the big stage. Italian clubs are struggling in European competitions like the Champions League, where an Italian team hasn't made the final since 2014-15, and no Italian club has won since 2009-10. Just last year, North Macedonia shocked Germany on the road in Duisburg with a 2-1 win in the group phase of World Cup qualifying. Team captain Giorgio Chiellini has missed time of late with an adductor problem as well, and was only available off the bench for Thursday's game. North Macedonia, a third-tier team (Group C) in the UEFA Nations League, has never qualified for a World Cup in its history. Federico Chiesa, who was a surprise standout at Euro 2021, tore his ACL earlier in the season while playing for Juventus and has been unavailable for selection. This isn't the only misstep for Italy through 2022 World Cup qualification. Meanwhile, North Macedonia managed its goal on just five shots for a paltry xG of 0.18. For Italy, a four-time World Cup champion and current European champion, to miss a single World Cup tournament — let alone consecutive ones — is catastrophic. In addition, Italy had never in team history lost a home World Cup qualifier, with 44 wins, seven draws, and yes, zero losses. And yet, this upset occurred in a UEFA World Cup qualification elimination game.

How to Watch Italy vs North Macedonia (unknown)

Italy take on North Macedonia in an attempt to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The winners of this tie will progress to face the winner of Portugal vs ...

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Aleksandar Trajkovski scores as Italy miss out on World Cup finals (unknown)

Defending European champion Italy will look to avoid missing a second straight World Cup when it hosts North Macedonia in a must-win playoff.

74 mins: It's a double change for Italy as Tonali replaces Barella and Pellegrini is on for Immobile. North Macedonia deserve a lot of credit for the work they've done so far, but will they be able to hold out for extra-time? 27 mins: North Macedonia are continuing to frustrate Italy, who are still finding it difficult to make the breakthrough. 3 mins: Italy have started brightly and the first opportunity of the game sees Emerson shoots over. 58 mins: A great opening for Italy as Verratti plays the ball in towards Berardi, but the latter's effort is disappointing. North Macedonia are continuing to stand firm as they make life difficult for Roberto Mancini's side. 1 min: The game is underway. Juventus star Federico Chiesa is out with a long-term knee injury. However, North Macedonia haven't been able to pose much of a threat themselves in an attacking sense. 92 mins: Incredible. North Macedonia take the lead in added time, with Trajkovski scoring with a superb strike. Florenzi makes an excellent challenge to cut out the danger at the other end. North Macedonia bring on Ristevski for Velkovski. Dimitrievski collides with Mancini following a corner. Italy have missed out on the World Cup finals again.

World Cup play-off line-ups (unknown)

Italy have a makeshift defence for the World Cup play-off with North Macedonia, relying on Ciro Immobile, Domenico Berardi and Lorenzo Insigne upfront.

Giorgio Chiellini is only fit for a spot on the bench, so it’s a totally revamped back four with Alessandro Florenzi, Gianluca Mancini, Alessandro Bastoni and Emerson Palmieri. You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG. Italy have a makeshift defence for the World Cup play-off with North Macedonia, relying on Ciro Immobile, Domenico Berardi and Lorenzo Insigne upfront.

Post cover — Image courtesy of "GiveMeSport"

Jorginho: Italy man's recovery pace vs North Macedonia has gone viral (GiveMeSport)

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho proved that speed is his big weakness during Italy 0-1 North Macedonia.

Well, until he has to chase someone… During the second half, the former Napoli man slipped while trying to defend against Enis Bardhi in the middle of the park and then showed a turn of pace befitting of a snail in his attempt to try and stop the North Macedonia playmaker. But Switzerland finished ahead of them and that meant Italy had to settle for a place in the play-offs, an outcome that has proven to have disastrous consequences.

Italy's World Cup qualifying shock is why we love this sport (unknown)

Italy are trending up under Mancini, but Thursday's high drama means they'll will miss a second straight World Cup. These moments are why we watch.

Italy weren't the best team in Europe when they won Euro 2020, but they still deserved to win it because, for a month, they played some of the best football without having some of the best players. Very few successful teams play that way (at club or international level) and not only has Mancini changed that mentality, but it's percolated down to the younger coaches in Serie A and Serie B. They try to emulate Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, not the mega-catenaccio crew of yesteryear. And they're not a worse team than Switzerland (who are going to the World Cup) and North Macedonia (who, Cristiano Ronaldo permitting, might join them in Qatar), but because individual players made critical mistakes in key moments they still deserve to go out. Nor should it mean that, all of a sudden, because of this result, Italy is heading in the wrong direction. It means that North Macedonia can travel away to the European champions -- who have never, in their history, lost a World Cup qualifier at home -- without arguably their best player (the suspended Elif Elmas) and win with a game plan consisting of staunch defending and an improbable wonder strike in injury time. Some are starting to bear fruit in the form of promising youngsters, some may do so down the line, some may never work out. Either way, Mancini's direction of travel is the correct one. Sometimes you have to accept the fact that generational talents -- as the name implies -- are born, not made. (At least that's the case in Europe, where a whopping 13 countries get to qualify.) Italy went 60 years without missing a World Cup and now, after Thursday's 1-0 playoff defeat to North Macedonia, they've missed the last two buses to the biggest show on Earth. It means another round of heartache after the 2018 World Cup qualifying debacle against Sweden. It means embarrassment and pain that Euro 2020 will only partly mitigate. It's like the old joke about buses: you wait hours for one, and then two come along at once.