Italy did the minimum and the necessary on a night in Bergamo, turning a sleepy first half into a much sharper second to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 and reach the World Cup play-off final. The goals came from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean, and now the last hurdle is Bosnia, who will host the decisive match in Zenica after their dramatic penalty win over Wales in Cardiff.

How the game felt

The opening 45 minutes was cautious and low on real chances. Italy started the brighter side, but after the initial pressure the match settled into a phase where the visitors defended deep and kept Italy away from the clear opportunities they wanted.

Key moments in the first half

  • Early alarm bells for Northern Ireland: Tonali headed just wide in the 5th minute, and a Dimarco cross-shot forced the keeper Charles into a difficult save.
  • Northern Ireland, managed by O'Neill, lined up a very young side. Their goalkeeper was 20 years old and many teammates play in the English second division. Their lone striker James Donley is a 2005-born forward.
  • Italy tried mainly down the right, with Politano active, but most corners and attempts did not trouble the visitors. Kean and Retegui struggled to receive useful service.
  • Half-time: 0-0, the scoreline that suited Northern Ireland and prolonged Italy's tension.

The second half change

After the break the match flipped. Italy played more direct and faster, and that paid off.

  • Retegui missed a sitter after a defensive error by Devlin, stretching the ball too far when through on goal.
  • Then Tonali broke the deadlock with a low, precise right-foot shot from the edge of the area, a goal that lifted the mood and ended the memory of the painful play-off exit four years ago against North Macedonia.
  • Esposito, brought on for Retegui, nearly headed in a second. Later, Kean sealed the win around the 35th minute of the second half, finishing low into the corner after a good Tonali pass, having just missed a spectacular overhead attempt moments earlier.

Other notes

  • The crowd was loud and loyal, with about 23,000 blue scarves in the stands, and the stadium observed a minute of silence for Beppe Savoldi, who recently passed away in Bergamo.
  • Coach Gennaro Gattuso had better news on the injury front, recovering players including Alessandro Bastoni, who had been out since March after a tibia knock in the derby. He paired Retegui with Kean up front.
  • There was also a debut for Palestra late on.

Final score, 2-0. It is a win that brings a real chance to return to the World Cup, but also a reminder that Italy will need more than this performance to get past Bosnia in Zenica next Tuesday. Gattuso knows it will not be easy, and the team will have to sharpen up again for the final test.