Italy take on Northern Ireland on Thursday night in what promises to be a do-or-die clash between the two European teams in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying semi-finals at Bergamo Stadium.
Italy vs Northern Ireland should be an eventful and confusing match as both sides are keen to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Italy may have the experience and home advantage to help them produce a clinical performance, but Northern Ireland will thrive under the label of underdogs in what should be a very entertaining game.
Competition details
bergamo stadium
Bergamo, Italy
Thursday, March 26
19:45 (GMT)
Desperate Italy to face Northern Ireland in 2026 World Cup play-offs
Italy’s clash with Northern Ireland should be a nerve-wracking affair for both teams’ players and fans, who fear a loss could end their dreams of reaching the 2026 World Cup.
Italy had a tough time in the World Cup qualifying group stage, losing to Norway in the group stage and now need to go through the play-off stages to qualify for the World Cup.
Gattuso has a huge battle ahead of him and will need his team to be solid defensively and efficient offensively to cause Northern Ireland trouble and win this game.
Northern Ireland, meanwhile, will need to come up with something truly special to reach the World Cup play-off final as they face Italy on their own ground.
Michael O’Neill will need to do something special to make his team the defensive rock that frustrates Italy, and will also need his players to seize any opportunity effectively to secure a big win.
Italy have dominated against Northern Ireland so far, winning three of their last five games, and they will be looking to add another win with a good performance in front of their fans.
Can young sensation Francesco Esposito move Italy closer to a World Cup berth?
Inter Milan striker Francesco Esposito has already played an important role in Italy’s squad under Gennaro Gattuso, earning his place due to his heroics for club and country.
Esposito has contributed nine goals (six goals, three assists) in 28 Serie A games in the 2025/26 season, and he also proved his ability by scoring in Italy’s recent loss to Norway.
The 20-year-old may be young, but he could be a tormentor for opposition defenders.
Esposito’s clever off-the-ball movement and ability to sniff out chances in the box make him an asset to Italy, who will look to him to get into the right places, ruthlessly finish chances and torment Northern Ireland defenders.
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Versatile Isaac Price looks for moment of fame in big World Cup qualifier
While Northern Ireland will need to focus on defense for much of the match between Italy and Northern Ireland, they must be as proactive as possible to win the game in either normal time or overtime.
As a result, Michael O’Neill will have to push his side to be efficient on the counter-attack and in transition, with winger Isaac Price taking a big responsibility.
The 22-year-old has scored 10 goals for Northern Ireland and has seven goals in the 2025/26 West Bromwich Albion League campaign.
Price is a versatile player who can play anywhere on the front line, and he needs to advance forward and pass intelligently to help his teammates get chances.
He will also have to use his unpredictable runs to seize chances and finish them with force to help his team make a huge impact and move closer to qualifying for the World Cup.
Italy vs Northern Ireland Injury Status
Italy injury situation: Mattia Zaccani, Matteo Gabbia, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Bastoni (doubtful), Gianluca Scamacca (doubtful)
Northern Ireland injuries: Daniel Ballard, Connor Bradley, Alistair McCann
Italy vs Northern Ireland Predicted Lineup
Here are our predicted line-ups for Italy vs Northern Ireland.
Italy predicted eleven: Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK), Gianluca Mancini, Riccardo Calafiore, Alessandro Buongiorno, Andrea Cambiasso, Nicolo Barrera, Sandro Tonali, David Fratesi, Federico Di Marco, Francesco Esposito, Mateo Retegui
Northern Ireland predicted XI: Bailey Peacock-Farrell (GK), Ruairi McConville, Paddy McNair, Theron Brown, Terry Devlin, Brad Lyons, George Saville, Brodie Spencer, Ethan Galbraith, Isaac Price, Jamie Donley
main photo
Credit: imagery / Yingfei Photography
Recording date: 15November 2021
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