The European play-offs will feature 12 teams, but only three will qualify for the World Cup. Who could Italy face in March?
The Azzurri were held to a 0-0 draw by Northern Ireland, while Switzerland beat Bulgaria 4-0, meaning Roberto Mancini’s side will need to go through the play-offs to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
How do the play-offs work?
The European play-offs will feature 12 teams, including the ten group runners-up from the first stage of qualifying. The remaining two spots will be taken by the best two 2020-21 UEFA Nations League group winners who did not finish in the top two in the first round of the Qatar 2022 preliminaries.
The nations will then be split into three four-team paths, with semi-finals and a final ensuing in each. The three triumphant sides will join the ten group winners from the first round in representing Europe at the World Cup.
When is the draw? When do the play-offs take place?
The World Cup play-offs draw will be held on Friday, November 26 2021 at 17.00 CET in Zurich.
The semi-finals will take place on March 24 and 25, the Finals on March 28 and 29.
Who are Italy’s possible opponents?
The best six runners-up are seeded, so it remains to be seen which countries will be the best ones after the end of the group stage which will be completed tomorrow. Each group has two seeded teams that won’t meet in the semis.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden are among the most dangerous potential opponents for Italy. However, just like Italy, both countries are seeded teams, so they can’t meet in the semis.
Finland or Ukraine could be runners-up in Group D, with France already qualified.
Belgium have booked their place in Group E from where Italy could pick Wales or the Czech Republic. Both teams will take part in the play-offs as they were among the best sides in the Nations League.
The Netherlands, Turkey or Norway are all in the race to win Group G, while Russia are the runner-up of Group H and so are North Macedonia in Group J and Scotland in Group F and Poland in Group I. Austria will take part in the World Cup play-offs as one of the best teams in the Nations League.
The seeded teams are: Portugal, Italy, Sweden, Scotland, Russia and one between Poland and Wales.
I’m not gonna pin this failure on Mancini because I think it wasn’t entirely his fault. He has done wonders for Italy since taking charge and deserves praise for that but that doesn’t mean he should be shielded from deserved criticism. Italy’s failure in this last match was on him. It was a horrible performance technically, tactically and the players didn’t even look prepared mentally. Northern Ireland coach won his tactical battle easily and honestly they should’ve won the match. They had a few clear cut chances to our none and deserved to win. Mancini’s lack of a plan B is preposterous and I think he’s trying too hard to copy the Spanish game be it the heavy focus on possession or the insistence on the same formation and style of play to the death whether it works or not.
BUT, it should never have come to this in the first place. We drew with Bulgaria of all teams and that was entirely the players’ fault. We had many chances in that match and failed to score then allowed an easy goal, too. Players were sleeping on Euro success back then.
Similarly, both home and away to Switzerland we should’ve won. I think specially in the first leg we had enough chances to win but again just couldn’t score enough goals. Obviously Jorginho is the main culprit with those two penalty misses.
And who knows what could happen in the play-offs now. SMH
There’s old saying in American football….” you are what your record says you are”…i’ll take a bit further…You are what situation you in” … Thats what Mancini got us into….He’s the coach and the axe falls on him Milan Fan..I’m sorry… He decieded to be the coach. He makes the decisions…Forget about the Euro’s. The would be the 2nd straight time Italy misses the World Cup…..I don’t like their cnances…Sorry to be so pesimistic
Italia fans, World Cup comes in March. It’s all goooood. We won the euros w some fortune and now we got incredibly unlucky not to win our group. Both games v Swiss we should have won but it okaaaaay. We play a playoff, is it different from a quarterfinal 6 months later? No, we have to win, and if we are worthy, we will. We are Italy, don’t be negative, we are the champions, let’s goooo in March!
In each of the the playoff groups each team will play the other 3 and the number 1 team will play the 4th in one SF and the 2nd vs 3rd in the other SF. So every team has to play atleast 4 matches?? Am I right here??
Ventura’s Curse!! Recently whenever Italy’s Qualifiers were due he brought himself to focus, either speaking on the Qualification or declaring retirement from the game. Probably he thinks he didn’t do that badly in a group with Spain and against tough but Sweden with the players he had!!
We should have Spinazolla back in time for the playoffs. Forza
Mancini has to take load of the blame. He should’ve taken off Jorghino from penalty duties after 2 misses in a row. He made a big mistake of not starting Chiesa in the away match with Swiss. When anyways we are not scoring with the forwards we have why not try Lucca or give Scamacca a proper chance?? I think Destro and Politano should’ve been given a chance. Team is too predictable and with many players off .. new hungry energetic players should have been brought in. Fratessi?? Di Lorenzo is a defensive liability .. Calabria, Darmian, Di Marco should play instead. But who will replace Bonucci and Chiellini going forward with current stop gap Acerbi another liability! Can Mancini and Bastoni pairing work??
I don’t know how the playoffs work but to look from a positive point of view just qualifying after last misses wouldn’t suffice and then go and perform badly in the tournament .. so instead having to work hard to get there .. sorting out all the issues will only be helpful going forward. Hopefully we don’t have so many injuries going into the Playoffs and get back Spinazzola in top form along with the likes of Pellegrini and Verratti, also with Chiellini back!
Very disheartened and upset .. but still hopeful we’ll qualify 🤞Forza Azzurri Sempre 🇮🇹👍👊💙
As an Italy fan the squad completely is exhausted. From a short off season cause of euro 2020 then a few weeks training for their respective European clubs then qualifying World Cup games and champions league Europa league and all the injuries they did not look fresh with only league and champions league and Europa to play I think they will come out on fire in March.
Aren’t Sweden a non-seeded team because they got only 15 points? Italy may not be seeded either, as they only got 1 more.
I think the seeds are based on how many points you got, not your history.
@ ROY
I don’t think it works like that Roy. Each team will be assigned to play One other team from that group. So, in essence Two semi’s…..then the two winners (of the semis) will play each other to determine who wins the group and goes to Qatar. So, only two matches to win the group……..I know, I don’t like this format either!!
I echo @ROY’s sentiments. It seems every Italian manager has this allegiance to the boys that got you there and it always ends up costing us dearly in the next competition (IF we make it). . . I’m of the mindset that we probably will not go through unless something dramatically changes up front. We are not clinical, we haven’t scored a goal in “Open Play” by an Italian striker since the Spain-Italy Euro Semifinal Match. And this is just in regard to our finishing booties, never mind that we don’t have a solution for the post bonucci – chiellini pairing.
This whole qualifying stage is a joke by FIFA
What’s the point having the world rankings ?
Make it that top 10 countries in tanking automatic qualify
Then let the rest of minor countries battle it out I say !
It’s embarrassing seeing these tennis scores at World Cup levels
We want the best countries in world to be there .
Can’t have a Portugal or Italy etc out of world cups
These things can destroy football countries !
As we play every 4 years !
Italy haven’t lost a match , legs remember !
Or if we are to use this system , why not just let top 2 teams qualify
Then get the 3rd best teams to make up numbers
Why go through another play off stages as players are playing with huge injuries already .
FIFA are a joke !
Thanks @Mario T .. Got it. Very odd system!
@FRANK THE TANK Thanks mate ….
@Eddie Completely agree with you. I think the Defending Champions, the Continental/Zonal Champions and the Top 10 Fifa ranked teams ( there obviously would be an overlap) should automatically qualify. Then the lowest ranked teams in each zone (numbers can vary) e.g atleast 5 in Europe like San Marino, Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, Andorra they play amongst themselves and only one of them play in the main draw with no playoffs!
Unfortunately it’s not like euro where top 2 make it automatically but I am sorry I get last time we had Spain abs to be honest was not shocked that we came 2nd but this is actually worse than 4 years ago. You are euro champs and had Swiss who are very good but not spain . This should have been done and dusted a while ago . Absolutely pathetic
@ROY
I would add Khazakhstan (sp?) Armenia Estonia LIthuania, Moldova to that list. and guess what, we didn’t have any of them. it’s return the screw time by FIFA. . .
Italy seem to have lost their spark, or whatever it was propelled them to the Euros and win. Gave NI far too much respect and a huge number of sideways and backwards passes did not help.
Need to bin the false number nine system! We are not Spain and why should we be, we are Italy!
A ridiculous number of corners were just wasted by passing to a player close by who then passed it back. Not clever. Everything fell for the NI team tonight but we were very lucky not to lose. Not a great look for a team of mostly championship and lower league players. However, we most keep our nerve and hope we get a favourable draw and we make it to the World Cup finals. Forza Italia!
Roy
Just like past Playoffs, still only 2 matches. Not 4.
Think of it like the recent Nations League Finals. 4 teams in the Finals.
There will be three of these 4-team Groups. The winner of each of these individual groups qualify.
Same system used for Euro 2020 Qualifiers.
I am resigned to them not qualifying.
Keep in mind that we could see PK’s. Something that could probably suit us.
Remember, Scotland qualified to Euro 2020 by beating Serbia on PK’s.
@FRANK THE TANK No problem .. it’s Kazakhstan.
@dangerboy You wrote “The winner of each of these individual groups qualify.” .. Right .. but only that each team doesn’t play every other team in the group .. that is 3 matches but instead from what I learnt … the 2 seeded teams will play 2 unseeded teams in each group .. the semifinals and then the 2 winners play the final!
Can only hope and pray that going into the crucial Qualifiers in March our players pick up full form and fitness and Mancini learns from the mistakes and we don’t play same predictable slow football!
And friends would like your thoughts on the following .. Is Allegri ruining Chiesa and Locatelli??
@Roy – I think Allegri is not ruining Locatelli, but he sure as hell is ruining Chiesa.
All is not lost, they still have a chance in March, some ideas:
-no cannonballs’ from midfield
-kick balls less hard to avoid it going over bar or wide
-when faced with a parked bus scenario like todays NI or 4 yrs ago with Sweden playoffs, how about flicking the ball over that wall and into the net instead of kicking ball at the defenders buttocks as though once were massaging or something. A good example of flicking ball over and scoring is I once saw Bedardi with ball stare into the keepers eyes and flicked it over the keeper and score! Which leads us to the next revelation
<<>>
I have noticed a disturbing pattern (much like the canon balls from midfield that have stopped as they passed the messages along)
The disturbing thing is this –
Chiesa I will use you as an example as you are a culprit of this not others are doing it too.
Chiesa I want you to eat the yogurt with a spoon and not a fork. What do you mean boss? Let me draw you a picture. I hears d that orang is your favorite color? Yes boss. Well let’s imagine we have an uncle harry orange bus in front of us and the door is opened. I want you to…Let me guess boss you want to kick the ball through the door? No! I want you to avoid the door as though if you hit the door the bus will explode. Oh boss that’s bad. Exactly! I want you to avoid the door at all costs and hit any window you like. Wow boss I like that idea. There’s more Chiesa. I want you to imagine that the door is the keeper and sometimes he moves around, so let’s say he is at say window #5 on this boss that has 20 windows I now want you to hit the window #3 or #6. Wow boss I didn’t know that, I thought we were supposed to hit the keeper. No Chiesa that would be correct in basket ball where you are the players and the keeper is the basketball net OR better yet baseball where you are the pitcher and the keeper is the Cather on the same team where you are trying to strike out the man at bat. But Chiesa…Yes boss this is not baseball and the keeper is not your friend, he is the enemy and you must never kick the ball at him but avoid him at all costs!!!!!!!
IN OTHER WORDS DO NOT KICK THE BALL AT THE KEEPER BUT AWAY FROM THE KEEPER!!!
Another good idea is to rotate the players and get the new kids on the pitch, we’re all getting a little tired of Insigne etc, we love them all but if they’re not performing so rotate. Also I think Chiesa needs to be put in the middle this winger thing is having him run too much.
Also if you have him winging and 2 defenders attack him well how about a buddy coming to assist him?
Once again let’s break this down into 3 sectors 1/3 each one
1) Players personal life like what he is eating, his family, his love life-this needs to be sound or the players suffers
2) Training Above we are showing some ideas , it’s not radical departures but tweaks
3) Luck, often overlooked but it would be a good idea to have the players consult with someone well versed in the paranormal, it could be a priest specialized in exorcisms, or a herbalist esoteric shopkeeper. Point here is to have someone CLEAR you CLEANSE you. All religions have specialists that look into this. At the very least take some bathes in Hyssop oil, or lime juice, look into it.
Forgot to mention, this site is out of London and I followed their podcasts and they have like a genius match analyst. The messages are getting to Mancini I can tell you that.
For example Juv played Zenit and I saw in highlights like 7 canon balls from midfield and all missed the net and I complained about this, some +3 or these from Chiesa and disturbing was the copycat effect it had on other players who also tried their luck-Canon balls do not work, even Messi Ronaldo Zidane miss when ty try these. If You practice it a 1000 time’s then maybe try it but best to avoid this. Now how do I know the messages get through well the next game Juv player against Fiorentina no one dared to launch a cannon ball as surely Allegri must have said something.
We all care about Italy and we suffer when they suffer, that is why when we have good ideas place them here and it is getting passed on to them. Even if your idea is bad they review it and look at it anyway.
Forgot to mention the 1st post for
IN OTHER WORDS DO NOT KICK THE BALL AT THE KEEPER BUT AWAY FROM THE KEEPER!!!
When Italy has PK with Germany when Conte was the coach and I like the guy but did not like it when he left for Chelsea and we got Ventura, anyway keeper Khan said in an interview “what I found strange is why they were kicking the ball at me.”
In the past few months I must have seen Italy kick the ball at keepers maybe not 100 time’s but it seems like it. PLEASE KICK THE BALL AWAY FROM TEH KEEPER. USE THE BUS AS AN EXAMPLE AS THOUGH YOU WERE AIMING FOR ONE OF THE WINDOWS AWAY FROM THE KEEPER!!! If we did this we would have scored like 12 x’s in the group qualifiers
Seriously FI if have to put up with the pop up video, please for Gods sake change it up a bit…..enough of Goran Pandev’s Academy in northern Macedonia
Khan? He retired YEARS ago. You mean Manuel Neuer?
Don’t know about Locatelli but there is definitely a rift between Allegri and Chiesa.
Early on Allegri publically mentions Chiesa, they denied there was friction, but it’s clear that something is going on.
Wish Allegri never returned.
Mancio said the right thing last night after the game, we should have booked our pass months ago. I cannot say anything on the Bulgaria game as we did create and had many chances to win. We were the better team against Switzerland in Basilea, not so great last Friday in Rome but still chances to have won them. The worst performance was last night. He stated he wanted us to play on the deck and fast but we did not. We were slow and predictable and just could not break a team that played for 80 minutes behind the ball and then to make it worse, they could have won it so lucky that we didn’t lose in the end. Donnarumma needs to start to play as it shows he is not playing. Come next March, we will really need to play our hearts out. The difference is no team can play for a draw, they all need to win and that will suit us down to the ground and lets face it against Sweden, we only lost due to deflection of De Rossi and then they all defended at the San Siro. This method will stop that farce and let the best team win. Should we win and get through which I really hope we do, then I can see us doing well there so lets be behind our National Team.
Yes, Roy.
I never did write that they all play each other.
As I wrote, it’s like the Nations League. Semi Final, then Final.
@Tonino Well Said!
@dangerboy Right.
@Jarod KNowles Love your passion and insights you bring!
@frankie Very sad situation. Hope Chiesa and Loca are back to their best soon 🤞
@Jarod KNowles
Hopefully what your saying is true that our messages get passed on. But the problem is Mancini doesn’t have time to work with the players. Your points are great .. and would be very useful if you could mail them to the Coach. And why can’t players individually work on the techniques you mentioned?! Also unbelievable that since 2013 when Pirlo scored against Mexico in Confed Cup, Italy hasn’t scored a direct FK Goal!!
Worrying signs we’re beginning to take shape during the euros.
We do not have a striker to put the ball in the net.
After the first round , we only beat Belgium in 90 minutes.
While we are pressing and doing well with possession, teams have figured out how to play us, ‘park the bus’ and counter attack.
So we need to find a striker to finish the possession. Maybe we got lucky winning the euros and that ironically may have depleted us rather than grow.
Lastly, terrible mistake to allow Jorginho to take that penalty given he missed twice already.
Hopefully everyone recovers for March.
This was 100% Mancini’s fault.
The 4 3 3 formations does dot work with the players he has right now.
Mancini is putting too much faith in the wrong players and he should look at other (and better) options on the bench.