Ninety minutes to ward off the ghosts of the playoffs. In Belfast, in the only city in Europe where a wall remains standing, Italy must overcome its own obstacle made up of adversaries and fears. Roberto Mancini is in fact playing for the possibility of direct access to the World Cup in Qatar, and he has the winning key clear in his head: "We must not repeat the mistake we made with Switzerland, at the start: to get anxious. 'a game of bad thoughts: let's think about playing ball on the ground and fast, and so we avoid having to resort to the repair exam, the March playoffs ". Against Northern Ireland, who never lost in these qualifiers at home, at Windsor Park, a national team with difficulty in scoring and the obligation to win with many goals goes on the pitch.Here it is, then, the fear of the Azzurri: repeating the missteps committed against Switzerland - double penalty missed by Jorginho in the lead - could be fatal. It weighs more than the previous one of 63 years ago, when a defeat in the same stadium cost the first, painful lack of qualification for the World Cup. "I didn't go to review the news, but I know the story: let's avoid going so far back in time ..", is Mancini's exorcism, whose main effort in this "difficult moment, the first in three years", it is to keep his tired spell away from any thought that is not the mantra of play and fun. Simultaneously with the Belfast match, in fact, in Lucerne the 'Nati'Yakin who is tied with the Azzurri will try to beat Bulgaria with many goals to cancel the last small advantage that remains for Italy, the +2 in goal difference. "It will not count to have a true or a false nine - says Mancini - but to play with the right mentality, right from the first minute. Knowing that Northern Ireland is a really difficult opponent: here they have never lost and they have not never conceded a goal ".
Probable formations of Northern Ireland-Italy, the last match of the European group C qualifying for the Qatar 2022 World Cup which will be played tomorrow at Windsor Park in Belfast.
NORTHERN IRELAND (3-5-2): 1 Peacock-Farrell, 17 McNair, 5 J. Evans, 20 Cathcart, 14 Dallas, 16 McCann, 8 S. Davis, 6 Saville, 11 Ferguson, 21 Magennis, 9 Washington.
(12 Hazard, 23 Southwood, 2 Bradlet, 3 Lewis, 4 Flanagan, 7 McGinn, 10 Taylor, 13 C. EVans, 15 Jones, 18 Whyte, 19 Gailbraith, 22 Brown).
Coach: Baraclough.
ITALY (4-3-3): 21 Donnarumma, 2 Di Lorenzo, 19 Bonucci, 15 Acerbi, 13 Emerson Palmieri, 18 Barella, 8 Jorginho, 6 Tonali, 14 Chiesa, 10 Insigne, 11 Berardi (22 Meret, 4 Zappacosta, 23 G. Mancini, 5 Locatelli, 12 Pessina, 20 Bernardeschi, 9 Belotti, 7 Raspadori, 17 Scamacca).
Coach: Mancini Referee: Kovacs (Rom)