Sandro Tonali embodies the spirit that Gattuso conveys, shining brightly as he helped Italy overcome Northern Ireland 2-0 and move just one victory away from qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Complete the first step.
Italy completed their task against the inexperienced Northern Ireland with a 2-0 victory, securing their place in the 2026 World Cup play-off final, where they will face Bosnia on March 31st.
This wasn't a particularly convincing performance from Italy, a team still plagued by issues and a lack of ideas in their play, but they did what they needed to do under the watchful eyes of Gennaro Gattuso.
After missing out on two consecutive World Cups (2018 and 2022), the four-time world champions still have a chance to participate in North America this summer. To do so, they will have to beat Bosnia away from home, an opponent who recently came from behind to eliminate Wales on penalties (1-1 in regular time).
Italy is clearly having problems with their playing style, a problem that has been evident from the tenures of Roberto Mancini to Luciano Spalletti.
Despite a rather exciting start to the match against Northern Ireland, with about 10 minutes of continuous pressure and numerous shots on goal against goalkeeper Charles – including a dangerous one from Di Marco – that was almost all the tifosi saw from a traditionally strong Italian team.
After that period, the pace of the game slowed down, and the playing style became sluggish and uncreative.
It was in this context that Northern Ireland gradually played with more confidence. This young team, no longer heavily influenced by the long-ball style of English football, played quite fluidly with continuous passing combinations in the midfield.
However, their weakness is the lack of individuals who can make a difference. Even so, they still play quite comfortably.
Tonali and the spirit of Gattuso
The 0-0 scoreline after halftime left everything open. People were expecting a more explosive Italy in the second half, showing their mettle in a crucial match.
In fact, Italy didn't need to speed up too much to score. In the 56th minute, from a cross by Politano into the penalty area, defender Price cleared the ball right to Sandro Tonali, and the Newcastle midfielder unleashed a decisive volley from the edge of the box to open the scoring.
This goal almost sealed the match. In the 80th minute, Tonali made his mark with a header into the penalty area, where Moises Kean displayed excellent individual skill before finishing with a left-footed shot to make it 2-0.
Northern Ireland were unable to offer any resistance and posed virtually no threat to Gigio Donnarumma's goal.
In Bergamo, the tifosi were pleased with the results and optimistic about the team's chances of participating in the 2026 World Cup.
The formula for reaching the World Cup? While their playing style was still rather lackluster, the current Azzurri have many positive attributes compared to the period under Spalletti: focus, patience, and a touch of "Gattusismo" (referring to determination and courage).
Tonali embodies that "Gattusismo" spirit. He fights tirelessly, directly taking on the role of the forwards to pave the way for victory.
“We made good use of the rare positive moments we had,” Tonali reflected. The former Milan midfielder admitted: “We were nervous, there was tension at the beginning of the second half. After the first goal, we felt more relaxed mentally.”
Gattuso, the 2006 World Cup champion, helped bring the players closer together. “The years of hardship brought us together; we are a team fighting for Ringhio,” said midfielder Manuel Locatelli. “He is our leader.”
Bosnia is stronger and more experienced than Northern Ireland. “We have no other option but to win the final,” Tonali concluded.