"On the face of it, Italy had a good international break. In Gennaro Gattuso's first two games in charge, the Azzurri thrashed Estonia 5-0 and then won a remarkable game against Israel 5-4 with Newcastle's Sandro Tonali scoring a last-gasp winner. The result in Debrecen - the game was played in Hungary due to the ongoing bombardment of Gaza by Israel - pushed Italy above their opponents in the World Cup qualifying Group I table."
"The problems for Gattuso and Italy came elsewhere. Norway's incredible 11-1 hammering of Moldova means Erling Haaland and Co, who have played a game more, are six points clear of Italy with a goal difference of +21, significantly better than Italy's +5. So, even an Italy win when the teams meet again in November is unlikely to be enough to secure top spot."
"That would push them into the play-offs and leave them facing the potential nightmare of missing out on another World Cup. Will Italy miss a third successive World Cup? The four-time winners were absent in 2018 and 2022 and it would be unthinkable for such a passionate footballing nation to fail once again. The Italian media have resigned themselves to the prospect of the play-offs with Gazzetta Dello Sport today publishing an analysis of Italy's potential opponents on the assumption they won't overhaul Norway."
Gennaro Gattuso's first two games as Italy manager produced a 5-0 win over Estonia and a dramatic 5-4 victory against Israel, with Sandro Tonali scoring a last-gasp winner. The Israel match was staged in Debrecen because of the bombardment of Gaza. Norway's 11-1 win over Moldova left Erling Haaland's side six points clear and with a goal difference of +21, far superior to Italy's +5. Even a future win against Norway may not secure top spot, which would send Italy into play-offs and risk another World Cup absence after 2018 and 2022. Media coverage highlights potential play-off threats such as Sweden, Serbia, and Slovakia.
Read at 101GREATGOALS.COM
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