How sad! How sad it was to see the San Siro, now deserted, with the Norway fans celebrating their 4-1 defeat to Italy as if they were partying at home. Another blow, another blow that hurt us even more because after a good first half, which ended with a lead thanks to Pio Esposito’s goal, Italy foundered in the second half like a small boat in a storm.
It wasn’t a complete humiliation like last June in Oslo, but this poker hurt because it clearly illustrated the merciless gap between our national team and the Norwegian team who, after 27 years, will again play in the World Cup.
However, we, as we have known for some time, will be forced into the playoffs in March, with the risk, if the results are bad, that we will be eliminated for the third time in a row from a competition that, in our history, we have won four times.
In the first half we deceived ourselves: everything went perfectly. Intensity, play, through passes. With almost all the starters on the pitch, with Retegui and Esposito up front, and Frattesi as the right midfielder, the Norwegian team endured our pressure for 45 minutes with Donnarumma practically idle.
Under heavy rain, after taking the lead, Gli Azzurri continued to attack but were unable to score a second goal. And it was here, in the inability to close out the game, that we saw the first cracks in Gattuso’s side. Unfortunately, the cracks widened in the second half when Norway changed their face and immediately threatened our goal. A clear change of scenery: as if Italy, frightened by the reaction of the guests, had run out of magic potion. Gattuso’s substitution was of no use: the equalizer was scored by Nusa, without being disturbed by his shot. Then Halaand broke away, only to be thwarted by Mancini. Within minutes, City’s centre-forward scored two goals which made a statement. It is as if we have disappeared: a mental fragility, before even physical or technical, that is truly unsettling that calls into question the relative progress of the last few months.
