Gattuso: “We’ve taken a small step, now we have to climb the Everest” | OneFootball

Gennaro Gattuso hailed the resilience, unity and growing belief of his Italy side after they overcame a tense and often uncomfortable evening to defeat Northern Ireland 2–0 and book their place in the FIFA World Cup play-off final.

For 55 minutes, Italy played with the weight of expectation visibly on their shoulders. The game had carried the unmistakable feeling of a potential psychodrama, with Northern Ireland sitting deep, contesting every ball and disrupting any rhythm the hosts tried to build.

The Azzurri had moments, half-chances and flashes of promise, but the breakthrough refused to arrive, and with every passing minute the tension inside the stadium grew heavier.

It was, as Gattuso would later admit, exactly the kind of match they had expected. One in which quality alone would not be enough.

“The tension was high, the stakes were high, and we knew exactly what we were playing for,” he explained. “Today the priority wasn’t to play well, it was to win.”

The turning point came just before the hour mark, and fittingly, it came from the player increasingly carrying the identity of this Italy side.

When a cross from the right was only half-cleared by the Northern Ireland defence, the ball dropped invitingly on the edge of the box for Sandro Tonali. Without hesitation, the midfielder unleashed a powerful right-footed strike – a clean, venomous effort that flew beyond the reach of the goalkeeper and into the net.

It was a goal that felt like more than just a breakthrough. It was relief, release and perhaps the exorcism of those lingering doubts that have followed Italy in recent years. Tonali, who has now become the Azzurri’s most prolific midfielder since his first international goal, once again proved decisive and, in doing so, stepped into a role that mirrors the very man on the touchline.

“Nobody wanted the ball at certain moments, you could feel it was heavy,” Gattuso admitted post-match, reflecting on the psychological burden his players were carrying. “But we didn’t collapse at the first difficulty like we used to. That’s the difference.”

From that moment on, the game shifted. Italy began to play with greater clarity, their movements sharper, their decisions quicker. The fear that had characterised the first half gave way to control, and with it came opportunities to put the result beyond doubt.

That second goal eventually arrived with ten minutes remaining, and once again Tonali was at the heart of it. Under pressure, he produced a perfectly weighted pass into the right side of the penalty area, picking out Moise Kean. The forward still had plenty to do, but his execution matched the moment – a sharp touch, a decisive cut inside and a left-footed finish that struck the post before nestling in the back of the net.

Game over, and with it, the end of Northern Ireland’s brave resistance.

Gattuso, however, remained measured in his assessment, emphasising that the performance, particularly in the first half, fell short of expectations, even if the response after the break offered encouragement.

“Every match has its own story,” he said. “We didn’t interpret the first half well; we were too predictable, too flat. But in the second half, we were much better. We understood what we had to do.”

The Italian manager was particularly keen to highlight the importance of mentality, suggesting that this victory represented a step forward in how his team handles pressure.

“We have to smell danger,” he said. “That’s something we’ve missed for a long time. Today we did it well. We stayed in the game, we didn’t lose our heads.”

That sense of growth extended beyond the pitch, too. Gattuso spoke at length about the unity within his squad, pointing to the presence and commitment of players who were not even available for selection as evidence of a renewed collective spirit.

“For me, this is the real victory,” he explained. “Seeing players travelling just to be with the team, others staying close even when injured, this is what made us strong in the past. We were never always the best team, but we were always a team with mentality, with attachment. Bringing that back gives me pride.”

Attention now turns quickly to the final, where Italy will face Bosnia in what promises to be another high-pressure encounter. Gattuso expects a completely different challenge, but one no less demanding.

“It will be another very difficult match,” he said. “A team with experience, a tough environment. But every match is different, we have to arrive with the right mentality and prepare it in the best way.”

There are also concerns over fitness, with several players managing heavy workloads and minor injuries at a crucial stage of the season. Gattuso confirmed that the focus in the coming days will be on recovery rather than reinvention.

“Bastoni hadn’t trained for almost three weeks; we just have to thank him,” he revealed. “Many players have 45 or 46 matches in their legs; it’s normal to have small problems. Now we have to recover energy. We don’t need to invent anything; we just have to get them back as fresh as possible.”

Despite the victory, the emotional weight of the occasion was not lost on the Italy boss, who admitted that the sense of tension had been shared by everyone connected to the team. “We’ve taken a small step,” he said. “But now we have to climb the Everest. Everyone felt it: the players, the staff, even Gigi Buffon. There were ghosts, yes, but now we have one last match to complete the job.”

Even at full-time, his thoughts were already fixed on what lies ahead. Rather than celebrating, Gattuso immediately sought updates on the other semi-final, underlining the singular focus within the camp.

“The first thing I did was ask what the others (Wales and Bosnia) were doing,” he admitted. “Because yes, we’re in the final, but now we have to prepare ourselves mentally for what our objective is.”

That objective is clear: to return Italy to the World Cup after two painful absences. While this victory over Northern Ireland may not have been perfect, it may yet prove significant not just for the result itself but for what it revealed: a team learning, at last, how to handle the weight of expectation.