Italy turn to Bergamo for luck in Northern Ireland clash | OneFootball

The National Team returns to Bergamo for a decisive challenge on the road to the World Cup. On Thursday, March 26, at 8:45 PM, Italy will face Northern Ireland in the semi-final of the play-offs, an event that brings the Azzurri back to the Bergamo stadium six months after the brilliant 5-0 against Estonia, which coincided with Gennaro Gattuso's debut on the bench.

Italy, Gattuso's national team chooses the Bergamo amulet for the challenge against Northern Ireland

The choice of the Orobic capital is not accidental. Bergamo has always been a favorable ground for the National Team: in the four previous matches played in this venue, Italy has never known defeat. Two 5-0 victories, the first of which dates back to January 1987 against Malta, and two 1-1 draws, obtained respectively in the friendly with Turkey in 2006 and in the Nations League match against the Netherlands in 2020.

The historical relationship with Northern Ireland is equally significant. The two teams have faced each other eleven times: the record is clearly in favor of the Azzurri, with seven wins, three draws, and only one defeat. A heavy loss, that of January 15, 1958, in Belfast, which cost Italy qualification for the Swedish World Cup. The last encounter was also played in Belfast, the 0-0 in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers that opened the way to the play-offs.

Next March, Italy will once again be called upon to demonstrate solidity, maturity, and the ability to handle pressure. The goal is clear: to reach the play-off final and take a crucial step towards World Cup qualification.

The stage of Bergamo, with its symbolic and statistical value, can offer an additional incentive to Gattuso's team, determined to turn the favorable history into a new winning chapter.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.