Italy 0-Macedonia 1 | Italy lives the worst night in its history: outside the World Cup!

Italy has managed to cancel in a terrible night, the worst in its history, all the joy and enthusiasm that it had generated with its triumph in the last European Championship. North Macedonia, the team number 67 in the FIFA ranking left the Azzurra without a World Cup for the second time in a row and the play-off final will be played against Portugal. Falling in Porto would have been understandable, this is inexplicable.

The first half again showed Italy’s serious flaws, which cost them a direct pass with draws against Bulgaria, Switzerland (twice) and Northern Ireland. Mancini, who also lost Scamacca due to injury, decided to play the game with only one center forward between starters and bench, Immobile, leaving Belotti in the stands of the hot Barbera. Decision that caused and will cause controversy.

The script of the match was as expected. Milevski, without the suspended Elmas, parked the inevitable bus in front of Dimitrievski, and it was enough to cancel out the Italian attacks. His sterile possession of the ball exceeded 65%, but it did not serve to create clear chances. Of his 16 shots, only three were on goal.

The restart showed the same game, with Berardi, the most active, who came close to 1-0 several times, but it was too little. The revulsions of Mancini, who continued to cling to a 4-3-3 that has not worked since September, did not break the clash either. Raspadori, Pellegrini, the premiere of Joao Pedro, even Chiellini in the 89th minute… The result was an Italy that kept playing and playing, but closed the game with just five shots on goal.

The national team It had been showing negative signs for months, but the European Championship in July suggested that the epic of the Italians who “always come back” would be repeated. They did not know how to change, perhaps they underestimated the situation, and football took a very expensive toll on them.

In the 93rd minute, with his only shot of the match, North Macedonia scored a goal that is already legendary. Trajkovski surprised Donnarumma from far away and unleashed a party of his own, leaving the Italians devastated as in 2017.

For the first time, the name of Italy will not appear in two consecutive World Cups. After the fourth star conquered in Berlin, one disaster after another came and the worst is this, 12 years without being in the most exciting event on the planet. At this rate, who knows if they will be 16.