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Italy moved one step closer to returning to the World Cup, beating Northern Ireland 2-0 at New Balance Arena and booking a play-off final against Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Gennaro Gattuso admitting relief after a tense night that kept alive hopes of ending the country’s run of two failed qualifications.

The Azzurri needed second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean to settle a tricky semi-final that Northern Ireland contested aggressively, with Italy struggling before half-time, when Gattuso’s side produced only two shots on target during a flat and often slow opening period.

Italy now turn towards Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zenica next Tuesday, after Nikola Vasilj’s penalty saves helped Bosnia-Herzegovina defeat Wales 4-2 in a shoot-out, following a 1-1 draw, and this will be the third straight World Cup qualifying campaign where Italy must navigate the play-offs after failures against Sweden and North Macedonia.

Italy’s previous play-off experiences remain painful. Italy lost 1-0 on aggregate to Sweden before the 2018 World Cup and then exited against North Macedonia in 2022, losing 1-0 in Palermo in the semi-finals, results that added pressure on the current group and shaped the reaction to this latest victory.

Gattuso admitted the first half did not go to plan, outlining tactical issues that slowed Italy’s attacks. “It was a struggle, this was not at all easy. They even surprised us, trying to make vertical passes. We could’ve done better,” Gattuso told RAI Sport, as quoted by Football Italia. “There was concentration, [Manuel] Locatelli went too deep, we were not developing the play properly or the way we had prepared, but we did well, and it was not to be taken for granted. We were too slow, Locatelli was pushed back, but we moved the ball quicker after the break, and now we have to play the final. It’s difficult, we knew this game was tough too, so now we must try to recharge the batteries.”

Italy raised the tempo after the break. Kean first forced a sharp save from Pierce Charles, signalling the shift in momentum, before Tonali smashed a fierce shot past the Northern Ireland goalkeeper in the 56th minute, and Kean later added the second with a composed finish ten minutes from time after being picked out by Tonali.

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The Fiorentina forward’s form with Italy continued. Kean has now scored in each of the last five appearances for Italy, registering seven goals in that run and becoming the first Azzurri player to hit the net in five consecutive matches since Salvatore Schillaci achieved the feat in July 1990, underlining how important Kean has become in front of goal.

With Italy having missed the last two World Cups, Tonali admitted the emotional weight on the squad during the match. “We’ve been feeling positive since the coach arrived, we’ve got to continue like this, there’s no other option but to win,” Tonali added. “I dedicate this goal to everyone, because we all deserve to go to the World Cup. We’ve done nothing yet, but it still feels like the most important goal of my career, along with one for AC Milan against Lazio.”

Northern Ireland again left Italy empty-handed, yet with credit for effort. Northern Ireland have now lost all seven away games against Italy by an aggregate score of 18-2, failing to score in seven of those eight visits, but the team stayed compact, pressed well at times and restricted Italy until the hour mark.

Midfielder Ethan Galbraith praised the performance despite the result. “I thought our shape for most of the game was excellent. We left everything out there, so I am proud of the lads,” Galbraith said. “When you come against elite players, sometimes they do a bit of magic like they have done. We are disappointed but all proud of the performance.”

Asked whether this Northern Ireland side had developed, Galbraith highlighted the squad’s progress. “Massively. It is a very young group, so the future is bright for the lads. From when we started playing to now, I think you nailed it on the head, we have come a long way.”

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Italy now stand one match from a World Cup return, carrying both the burden of recent failures and the momentum from beating Northern Ireland, with Gattuso’s side aware that Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zenica will present another demanding test that Italy must navigate to end a long and difficult qualifying journey.

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