Italy hosts North Macedonia in the World Cup qualification promotion semifinals. The match will be played on Thursday, March 24th at Stadio Renzo Barbera (Palermo)
Italy took second place in Group C. Despite 16 points scored, Roberto Mancini's team lost the fight for a direct ticket to Qatar to the Swiss team. The reigning European champions are experiencing a slight decline after their triumph. The Italians failed to win the home final of the UEFA Nations League and missed the leadership in the qualification group due to two draws against Switzerland (1-1) and Northern Ireland (0-0). The Blues have never missed two World Cups in a row in history. Since 1958, they have failed only one qualification for this major tournament. This happened in 2017 when the Swedes eliminated the Italians in the playoffs (0-1 and 0-0).
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North Macedonia finished second in Group J with 18 points, lagging behind Germany. The Red Lions have been on the rise in recent years. They made their debut at the Euro last summer, and in the fall, they took 2nd place in the World Cup qualification for the first time in history. The Macedonians managed to outrank Romania and Armenia in the struggle for participation in the playoffs. The coaching staff decided on the list of players on March 17. The final roster did not include experienced striker Ilija Nestorovski. The 32-year-old Udinese football player was not called up to the national team due to a lack of stable practice.
The Italians are the unequivocal favorites of the confrontation in Palermo. The current European champions have a stronger selection of players, and their leaders have a lot of experience in playing important matches. This will help Mancini's team advance to the next round of the playoffs. The difference in class does not mean that the Macedonians will give up without resistance. The Red Lions have made impressive progress. Despite the defeats, the North Macedonian team looked decent in each of the three matches at the Euro. And in the last qualification, the Red Lions were remembered for the away victory over the Germans (1-2). The Macedonians scored three goals in two previous games with Italy, and now a repetition of this event is also realistic, given the injuries of Chiellini and Bonucci. We make a risky bet on the goal from the visitors.
Prediction for the match: North Macedonia to score over 0.5 goals
