ITALY had a disastrous night as they failed to qualify for their second successive World Cup after losing 1-0 to North Macedonia.
Aleksandr Trajkovski scored a 92-minute winner to stun the European champs.
- RESULT: Italy 0-1 N Macedonia
- Italy XI: Donnarumma, 16. Florenzi, 19. Mancini, 23. Bastoni, 13. Emerson, 19. Barella, 8. Jorginho, 6. Verratti, 11. Berardi, 17. Immobile, 10. Insigne
- North Macedonia XI: Dimitrievski, 13. Ristovski, 14. Velkoski, 6. Musliu, 8. Alioski, 11. Churlinov, 5. Ademi, 10. Bardhi, 16. Nikolov, 19. Ristovski, 9. Trajkovski
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End of an empire
The expectance of certain teams making the finals of major tournaments is a thing of the past now as tonight showed us.
Nobody has a divine right to be there and it has to be earned.
Italy lacked something tonight or maybe they don’t have the players to execute the manager’s plans.
Either way, there will be no Italy at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Goal to break Italy hearts
The sound of silence here when that North Macedonia goal went in left fans in a state of shock here in Palermo.
Italian fans dumbstruck, North Macedonia fans speechless.
What a strike to win a playoff game!
Taxi for Mancini
The Italian FA tend not to be sentimental when it comes to failing to qualify for major tournaments.
Robert Mancini could be looking for another job this summer.
His players have let him and the fans down today with a lacklustre performance when it really counted.
FT: Italy 0-1 North Macedonia
The Italian players walk off the pitch to boos and jeers.
They failed to create clean-cut chances and allowed North Macedonia to stay in the game.
As is always the way, they are punished late on.
Italy 0-1 North Macedonia
90+5. Italy with their final chance of the game.
The shot comes in and deflects millimetres wide of the post.
Was that THE chance for Italy?
Italy 0-1 North Macedonia
90+3. The warnings have been there all game.
If you do not take your chances you run the risk of being burned.
Nothing more than a pot-shot by the North Macedonian winger but Donnarumma could not get anywhere near it
Goal – Trajkovski (North Macedonia)
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
90. We will have five additional minutes here….
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
88. After a little break for a collision between the Macedonian keeper and an Italy attacker we are back underway.
Whether either side has enough time to win this without needing extra time will remain to be seen.
Chiellini comes on for Italy.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia – Pellegrini chance!
86. Emerson does brilliantly down the left.
He feeds it to Pellegrini who sidesteps his marker.
Weirdly the player looks to square the ball rather than go for goal.
Should have put that one away.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
84. A push forward by the visitors has the home fans in all sorts of panic.
The ball is swung in from a wide position but Donnarumma anticipates the cross and gathers.
Italy look to get forward quickly.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
82. Italy desperately looking for that goal that could take them through.
Mancini looks nervous on the touchline.
Italy win another corner.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
80. Tonali with some good play out on the right finding Berardi.
He steps passed the challenge but it dragged down as he gets away from the player.
Free kick to Italy.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
78. Italy are probing away still.
Working the ball out wide and then looking for runners.
Raspadori hits one on the half volley from distance just over the bar.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
75. We are into the last fifteen minutes of the game.
Unless no one can find a goal.
Then we will be having some extra-time.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
73. This game is very similar to Juventus against Villareal.
The Italian side dominating but unable to find a goal.
Italy will need to be wary of what happened to Juventus in that one.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
71. It is getting to a worrying time for the hosts now.
Unable to break down this North Macedonian defence.
Florenzi is played in and shoots but the shot is blocked for a corner.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
69. Italy trying absolutely anything now.
The corner is played deep to the edge of the box where Berardi runs onto it.
Striking the ball on the volley from 30-odd yards seems ambitious.
The visitors block the shot.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia – Bastoni chance!
67. The corner is whipped in and Italian has a completely free header.
He should have done better considering there was no challenge from a North Macedonian player.
The keeper gathers the ball with ease.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
65. Free kick to Italy deep inside their own half.
Raspadori has come on for Insigne.
Berardi wins a corner for Italy.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
63. Berardi again with a chance in front of goal.
What does the Italian have to do to score?
This time the challenge deflects the ball mere inches wide.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
61. North Macedonia seem happier to retain possession and pass the ball about in this second half.
Italy break on the counter this time but Immobile has no support.
Insigne tries a shot which deflects through to the keeper.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
59. The visitors seem to be growing in confidence.
You do wonder whether Italy are going to be hit with a sucker-punch.
If they fail to take their chances, they open themselves up to it.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia -Berardi chance!
57. It is rare to see a game dominated by one side without creating anything of any real note.
The ball is played in towards Berardi in the middle of the box, he drops the shoulder and the defender commits.
He has a clean sight of goal and lets fly with a shot on his weaker right foot.
The balls goes way over the bar, wasted opportunity.
Italy 0-0 North Macedonia
55. North Macedonia are trying to get more possession of the ball.
Rather than ploughing forward, they play the ball around their back four.
It is a good way to relieve some of the pressure Italy are putting them under.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
