Published on :
Italy, reigning European champion, was eliminated Thursday in the semi-finals of the World Cup play-offs by North Macedonia (1-0, Path C) and will miss a second consecutive world championship. North Macedonia will be opposed next Tuesday to Portugal, who fell Turkey (3-1), in the final of the World Cup play-offs in Qatar.
Qatar will remain a mirage for Italy: despite its coronation at the Euro and four stars of world champion on the jersey, the Nazionale will miss the World Cup for the second time in a row, unheard of, after its defeat surprise against North Macedonia (0-1) Thursday March 24 in Palermo in Path C.
The Azzurri, unable to score despite an avalanche of chances (32 shots), were crucified in added time by Aleksandar Trajkovski (90th + 2), a former player from … Palermo. With a splendid strike, the Macedonian striker dashed the transalpine hopes.
Macedonia, generally harmless for 90 minutes, won the right to go to the play-off final in Portugal to try a new feat: go for the first time in its history at the World Cup.
Far from its lightness of last summer, when it seduced Europe and triumphed over England at Wembley, Roberto Mancini’s Squadra Azzurra stumbled for 95 minutes on the courageous Macedonian team. Here is Italy back four years, at the bottom of the wave where the defeat had left it, in the round-trip play-offs, against Sweden (0-1, 0-0), deprived of the World Cup in 2018 for the first time in 60 years.
This “apocalypse”, which has long haunted Italian football, and which the “magical nights” of Wembley finally seemed to have chased away, will undoubtedly have weighed in the heads of the Italians, who played too “little arm” as the captain feared on Wednesday. Giorgio Chiellini, entered at the end of the match and who will no longer have the opportunity to play in the World Cup.
Too much frenzy in the Italian clan
In an attempt to ease the pressure, Italy had nevertheless headed south, in search of the warmth of Sicily and the public of Palermo, and had obtained an exemption to be able to play in front of a full stadium (33,000 spectators) , a first in Italy since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
But it was ultimately the small colony of a few hundred supporters from Macedonia who celebrated at the final whistle, up there in the stands.
The tifosi have not, however, spared their support. But howls of disappointment concluded each of the Italians’ forays. There was in these Azzurri under pressure, caught up by their ghosts of 2017, a lot of desire but also too much frenzy.
They forced too many shots, like Marco Verratti above (25th), imitated by Nicolo Barella next door (28th), when they did not come up against the compact Macedonian defense like Ciro Immobile (20th, 38th) or on the goalkeeper like Lorenzo Insigne (33rd).
Deceived by Trajkovski, Donnarumma will still have to wait
The biggest Italian opportunity of the first period was for Domenico Berardi, in legs on the right side, but who did not press his shot enough in front of the empty goal, after a completely missed recovery from goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski (29th).
Too happy to see half-time arrive on this 0-0, Macedonia, generally inoffensive, even gradually gained confidence: Alessandro Florenzi had to come back at full speed on Darko Churlinov who was spinning on goal (39th) and Gianluigi Donnarumma fell well on the first Macedonian strike of the match, signed Aleksandar Trajkovski (45th).
As if overtaken by this “little arm” that Chiellini feared the day before, Italy tried again by all means after the break, with an active Verratti in the maneuver but such a clumsy Berardi: he framed without danger (53rd) then missed the target by nothing (54th), shot above in a good position (58th) then was countered five meters from the line (63rd). When it doesn’t want…
The substitutes – Giacomo Raspadori entered in place of a transparent Badge, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Joao Pedro – did no better, always seeing a foot repel their strike.
And while Roberto Mancini had thrown Chiellini into the bath for the final assault, it was Macedonia who struck. Donnarumma couldn’t do anything this time. The Paris-SG goalkeeper will still have to wait to discover the pleasure of playing a World Cup match.
With AFP