Italy 2-0 Northern Ireland: Three key takeaways from FIFA WC playoff semi-final | OneFootball

Italy managed to pick up a nervous 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in Bergamo, taking themselves to the final of the playoffs.

Goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean sealed the vital win and we look at three key talking points from the tie.

Tactical setup needs work

In the first-half, Italy were barely able to dominate possession. This was mainly because of a setup which left the entirety of the deep midfield empty, as Manuel Locatelli dropped into the backline. The Juventus player’s task was to find Moise Kean using long balls, with Gianluca Mancini often taking up an auxilary right-back spot.

Italy did manage to create a numerical overload on the right through this but could never penetrate centrally and play seemed to drift. Even in the second half, they couldn’t keep hold of possession and Rino Gattuso needs to change this setup completely.

Start Pio Esposito

When Francesco Pio Esposito came on, the difference was clear to see. He offered more hold-up, a much more reliable presence to play off than Matteo Retegui, who struggled throughout the tie.

Since Italy’s approach was also to use the movement of the front two, Esposito seemed like a better fit.

This should send a message that the Inter player should start the next game.

Dimarco will be key for Italy

Even when the Azzurri looked lethargic, lost and just nervous, Federico Dimarco’s wand of a left foot was a constant refresher. He nearly created goals in the first half, taking his club form forward to the nation.

His outing wasn’t perfect but considering the season he has had, he has to be a big part of Italy’s plans in the next few months.

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN