Let’s keep going. And that’s all that matters, as we wait with bated breath for the real World Cup play-off. Half the job has been done well. And half the match too, because there are two sides to the 2–0 win over Northern Ireland: the national team that looked sluggish in their play and nervous in their approach in the first half; and the team that was lively and revitalised in the second.
Getty Images/CalciomercatoSandro Sabatini
Translated by
Italy has two sides to it, but let’s keep going – that’s the only thing that matters. We’re only halfway there
THE REAR GUARD
Caution is advised when commenting on individual players. Here they are. Donnarumma ‘unrated’, as they used to say in fantasy football: never really called into action and inaccurate with his feet on just one occasion. Mancini showed plenty of passion but little clarity, displaying excessive determination even when it wasn’t needed. Bastoni was unrecognisable in the first half: sloppy and argumentative, as well as out of his depth at centre-back. He was then booked in the second half and rightly replaced by Gatti, who made his return to the Azzurri. Calafiori was better than his teammates in defence, though his partnership with Dimarco on the left was not particularly polished.
THE MEDIAN
In midfield, pushing forward down the right flank, Politano was rather lacklustre – in other words, in his usual league form. Barella was much the same: eager but lacking in attacking runs, partly because he’s been struggling with a lack of form for months now. Locatelli was a major misfit in the role of a deep-lying playmaker, in a match where a playmaker capable of long passes or incisive through-balls for the strikers would have been needed. Tonali showed plenty of personality and decent creativity in the first half, then became exuberant in the second half following his confidence-boosting goal.
THE ATTACK
Kean was a powerful, indeed overbearing, forward: often off the mark, but always striking fear into opponents of every calibre. And in the second half, he was a driving force even before his goal, a display of pure technique. Retegui, by contrast, was a shadow of his former self, showing no confidence in his individual efforts, receiving little support in the box and clearly lacking in fitness, as mercilessly highlighted by the chance he squandered early in the second half. Pio Esposito fared much better, coming on after an hour of struggle for the Italian-Argentine.
STRENGTH AND CONFIDENCE
Finally, there was also a place for debutant Palestra, who came on in place of Politano (who, incidentally, had improved in the second half), and near-debutant Pisilli, who was rewarded for his excellent season at Roma. And so we press on. With greater strength and confidence towards the real play-off to qualify for the World Cup.
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