Another defeat made in Haaland
(Paolo Tomaselli) Not even the luxury of half regretof half a revenge: the hard bread of the playoffs awaits Italy, which collapses in the second half under four goals from Norway (it hadn’t happened to the Azzurri since 1955), after an illusory first half. There are 130 days left until the first of (possible) two playoff games that they could bring Italy back to a World Cup, twelve years later.
But for now the national team crashes Haaland’s party and companions and their five thousand fans, including the prince, on a historic evening for the Norwegians, absent since 1998. There is little need to say that Solbakken‘s team is the best among the European teamswith full points and a goal difference of 32: the gap with Italy in two games was 6 goalsembarrassing in Oslo and also at San Siro in the last half hour. Not for nothing, Gattuso apologizes.
Around the almost immediate advantage for Esposito Italy doesn’t build enough, even if at 1-1 Dimarco comes close to doubling the score. THE Norwegian exchange rates and also the understandable Italian attention to avoid disqualifications in view of March (with Bastoni, Barella and Esposito himself booked) they dig a ravine into which now it doesn’t even make much sense to look, so as not to sink into negativity: teams like Norway are not in the playoffs and we need to get rid of that fear “that makes the ball weigh 100 kilos” evoked by the coach On the menu for the semi-final on March 26th there are old ghosts like Sweden and North Macedonia (which is playing with Wales), together with Romania and Northern Ireland. Italy they will play the first match at home and if they win, they will go to the final on the 31st with headquarters to be drawn. Bosnia, Kosovo, Ireland, Albania, Czech Republic, Ukraine and Scotland are currently possible opponents.
It can be done. Without throwing away the good things glimpsed in the Gattuso managementat the first defeat against the first ranked opponentwithout Calafiori, Tonali and Kean. Starting from the double center forward, Rino’s true innovation, which he launched thanks to Kean. Also the Retegui-Esposito pair starts off well. And Pio scored his first goal at San Siro in the area like the Norwegian maestro, who taught his lesson with a brace at the end. After Meazza, Corso and Rivera, at 20 years and 154 days the Inter player becomes the youngest to score at least three goals for the Azzurri: it’s not just others who have the future, but we need the awareness of having to suffer.
And Italy leaves them in the locker room after a first half in which, above all, the field changes and the push on the flanks work well. There Norway in the second half is something elsedrew early with the elusive Nusa and then showed the world Haaland, 16 goals in 8 qualifying matches, a turn and a touch from the outside, after an anonymous match. When Erling goes out, Strand Larsen also goes into the hole and the entire Norwegian bench, including the injured Odegaard, enters the field without restraints to celebrate the appointment with history. Italy is still standing in the garage, head down.
