Italy have failed to even reach the World Cup play-offs final, losing at home to North Macedonia in stoppages after wasting so many scoring opportunities.
North Macedonia will face Portugal in Tuesday’s final for a place at Qatar 2022, but Italy will not participate in the second consecutive World Cup.
The Azzurri would’ve already been at the World Cup if not for two failed Jorginho penalties both home and away in draws to Switzerland. Roberto Mancini had to do without Leonardo Bonucci, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Federico Chiesa, Leonardo Spinazzola, Andrea Belotti, Gianluca Scamacca and Rafael Toloi, with Giorgio Chiellini only fit for the bench, so it was a completely makeshift defence. Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas sat out a ban for North Macedonia, who finished second to Germany in their group.
Italy had a series of shots charged down as they pinned their opponents back in the opening stages, but Domenico Berardi looked a gift horse in the mouth, as Stole Dimitrievski gave it straight to him, but the Sassuolo man took an extra touch and tried to pass it into the empty net, allowing the goalkeeper to recover his position.
Moments later, Ciro Immobile’s effort was deflected over from a tight angle, then Dimitrievski got down to palm a Lorenzo Insigne scorcher round the post.
Immobile had a similar problem when set up by Marco Verratti, again taking too many touches and hesitating so the defender managed to close him down.
More shots were charged down from Verratti, Immobile and Insigne, but Alessandro Florenzi had to sprint back and make a decisive tackle on the edge of the area to stop Darko Churlinov going clear on the counter.
Former Palermo player Aleksandar Trajkovski also tested Gianluigi Donnarumma from distance, which was North Macedonia’s only shot of the first half compared to Italy’s 16.
Berardi managed to get one of his attempts through the wall of defenders, but straight at the goalkeeper, then moments later whipped another wide of the far post. The Sassuolo man also blasted over with his weaker foot from the edge of the area.
Berardi thought he had scored when chesting down an inspired Verratti ball over the top and hitting it on the half-volley from six yards, but Ezgjan Alioski got back for a sensational block.
Alessandro Bastoni’s header from Italy’s 12th corner of the game was plucked out from under the bar, while Giacomo Raspadori blasted not far over at all and Lorenzo Pellegrini rolled one across the face of goal rather than go for it himself.
Giorgio Chiellini and debutant Joao Pedro came on for the final minute, but deep into stoppages it was North Macedonia who scored with only their third shot on target of the entire game.
It was former Palermo player Trajkovski who had a pot-shot from distance, it bounced right in front of Donnarumma and into the far bottom corner with the kind of precision Italy had lacked all night.
Florenzi’s final attempt was deflected the wrong side of the post by Joao Pedro.
Italy 0-1 North Macedonia
Trajkovski 92 (NM)