Italy coach Roberto Mancini has revealed the team he does not want to miss out on in the World Cup qualifying play-offs. Italy finished second in Group C to advance to the World Cup qualifiers.
Northern Ireland thrashed Italy 0-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday, with Switzerland beating Bulgaria by four goals to nil. Italy finished second in Group C with 16 points.
Portugal, one of the best teams in Europe, is also in the playoffs. Mancini says Portugal are the worst opponents they can get in the playoffs. “If I pick a team, it’s Portugal,” Mancini said at the Social Football Summit, Football Italia reported.
At the same time, Mancini said he never expected them to play in the playoffs. “We never expected Italy to play in the play-offs. We knew things were going to be difficult when the match against Switzerland was drawn, but we did not expect to reach the play-offs. We got two penalties against Switzerland but could not take advantage of the opportunity,” Mancini said.