Football Italia Live Blog
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Join us for all the build-up and action as it happens from the final World Cup qualifier of Group I, as Italy go head to head with leaders Norway.
It kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 GMT.
Although a victory here would put the teams level on points, it would take a 9-0 win to overturn the massive goal difference gap for top spot.
The Azzurri are therefore already bracing themselves for the play-offs in March.
Gennaro Gattuso ‘would’ve preferred a football lesson from start to finish’ from Norway rather than Italy visibly crumbling. ‘It’s worrying, I would be a hypocrite to suggest otherwise.’
Click here for the full story.
Gianluigi Donnarumma concedes that Italy ‘stopped playing in the second half’ and it is ‘unacceptable that we totally lose confidence’ in the 4-1 defeat to Norway.
Click here for the full story.
Manuel Locatelli admits Italy were ‘fragile’ when crumbling 4-1 to Norway and ‘this must not be our level, we can and must do better’ in the World Cup play-offs.
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Giovanni Di Lorenzo insists Italy ‘can learn’ from their 4-1 defeat to Norway when going into the World Cup play-offs in March.
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Gennaro Gattuso apologised to the Italy fans after a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Norway, admitting the team ‘gets scared’ and must change this attitude for the World Cup play-offs.
Click here for the full story.
Italy are going into the 2026 World Cup play-offs, as despite leading through Francesco Pio Esposito, Norway fully earned top spot with a comeback 4-1 win at San Siro.
Click here for the full match report.
Bit harsh. Strand Larsen takes on Mancini down the right, cuts inside and bends his finish into the far bottom corner.
Norway won every single game in Group I with 36 goals scored and five conceded.
Into 3 minutes of added time.
Dimarco corner easily captured.
Strand Larsen and Ostigard on for Norway, Moller Wolf and Haaland off.
Corner finds Retegui header, also deflected for another corner.
Ricci and Buongiorno on, Barella and Bastoni off.
Scamacca tries to turn on a six-pence and shoot, Heggem deflects it for an Italy corner.
Politano tries to respond with a curler that flashes JUST wide of the far post!
Zaccagni and Scamacca came on for Esposito and Locatelli
OK.
Italy just completed a double substitution, which we didn’t have time to write because Norway scored immediately when Bastoni gave it away with a misplaced pass, Thorsby rolled across and Haaland doesn’t miss those from close range.
He’s the best, there’s no way around it. Also some terrible marking, because you don’t leave Haaland unmarked for a sensational left-foot volley from 8 yards when Oscar Bobb dribbles into the box and stands up a cross…
Aasgaard and Bobb on for Norway, Sorloth and Thorstvedt off.
Pio Esposito with the header that flashes just wide on another cross from the right!
Cristante sent Politano down the right, stood up a cross for the Esposito volley, well parried!
Dimarco kept it in play, crossed for Esposito again at the near post, and this time the goalkeeper smothered.
Mancini was down holding his chest after another coming together with Haaland, but nothing major.
Norway corner finds Nusa, who tries to score his second goal of the game, but Donnarumma is ready to parry his volley at the back post and then Ajer turns the rebound off target.
Bit of tension on a free kick, as Haaland, Sorloth and Mancini seem to be arguing, Donnarumma trying to calm everyone down.
Both Haaland and Mancini are booked.
Cristante on, Frattesi off for Italy.
Hmm. Bastoni is booked for dissent, which is very harsh considering he didn’t realise that the referee had stopped play during an Italy counter-attack because he touched the ball when Sorloth ran into him.
Oof. Dimarco landed very awkwardly on his back after a collision with Ryerson.
Norway are excellent. Italy are mediocre at best. That is all. Italian football’s best days are in the rear view mirror. Buonanotte.