Losing ‘shock’ to North Macedonia, Italy missed the World Cup for the second time in a row

Playing at home and only having to meet a much less underestimated opponent, North Macedonia, the Italian players poured in to attack from the beginning of the match. However, the breakthroughs of Thien Thanh shirt team lacked sharpness in the final situations.

Meanwhile, the away team still deployed the familiar counter-attacking posture, making it impossible for the home team to find a way to break the goal of goalkeeper Dimitrevski.

Entering the second half, Italy increased the pressure stronger and created more clear opportunities, but the goal still did not come to coach Mancini’s teachers and students. Subsequent efforts of this Italian strategist also did not bring results.

Many attacks did not score, Italy had to receive bitter fruit in the last minute of injury time. Minutes 90+2, from the counter-attack, Trajkovski decided to hit a shot right from outside the penalty area, the ball then sank and stretched, making goalkeeper Donnarumma unable to stop.

The goal made Italy dumbfounded and that was the end for the Thien Thanh team at the 2022 World Cup. This is the second time in a row that Italy has missed an appointment with the World Cup tournament.

In the remaining match of the C bracket, Portugal defeated Turkey 3 – 1 and will face North Macedonia in the final to compete for tickets to Qatar.