By Our Man in Bergamo
ITALY took a massive step toward exorcising their World Cup demons last night as star man Sandro Tonali inspired a 2-0 victory over a dogged Northern Ireland.
For 56 minutes in Bergamo, it looked like the familiar “Azzurri Anxiety” might take hold. But Newcastle’s midfield maestro Sandro Tonali and Fiorentina firecracker Moise Kean ensured there would be no repeat of the nightmares that saw Italy miss the last two tournaments.
Sandro’s Strike
After a turgid first half where Michael O’Neill’s young side parked a “Green and White bus” in front of goalkeeper Pierce Charles, the breakthrough finally came from the boots of Italy’s best player.
When a defensive clearance dropped invitingly at the edge of the area, Tonali didn’t hesitate. He watched the ball drop and unleashed a thunderbolt that fizzed into the bottom corner, sending the New Balance Arena into a state of pure delirium.
It was a goal worthy of the stage, proving exactly why Gennaro Gattuso has built this new-look side around the Magpies’ engine room.
King Kean
Northern Ireland, missing the steel of Liverpool’s Conor Bradley, fought with everything they had. They remained a threat on the counter, with Ethan Galbraith forcing a rare save from Gianluigi Donnarumma.
However, the night belonged to Moise Kean. The former Everton man was a constant nuisance, eventually putting the game to bed in the 80th minute. Latching onto a delicate scooped pass from Tonali, Kean showed world-class composure to take the ball down, shimmy past Ruairi McConville, and clip a low finish off the post and in.
The goal made Kean the first Italian player since the legendary Salvatore “Toto” Schillaci in 1990 to score in five consecutive appearances for the national team.
The Final Hurdle
For Michael O’Neill’s side, the dream of a first World Cup since 1986 is over, but they can hold their heads high after frustrating the four-time world champions for over an hour.
As for Italy, the pressure remains. They now head into Tuesday’s winner-takes-all playoff final against Bosnia and Herzegovina. One more win and the long 12-year wait for a World Cup return will finally be over.
ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni (Gatti 64), Calafiori, Dimarco; Tonali, Barella, Locatelli; Kean (Raspadori 88), Retegui (Esposito 60), Zaccagni.
NORTHERN IRELAND (5-4-1): Charles; Hume, Spencer, Toal, McConville, Brown; Devlin, Galbraith, McCann, Price; Donley.
