Italy and Switzerland in the match for the World Cup 2022 ticket
The Italian national team, the European champion, is facing a difficult confrontation with its guest Switzerland, tomorrow, in the World Cup 2022 qualifiers, trying to expel the demons of the last version when it failed to qualify for the 2018 finals. After the euphoria of winning the continental title when he was not a candidate for the podium, the team leads Coach Roberto Mancini ranked the third group of European qualifiers, but two goals ahead of Switzerland, who tied with him by 14 points from 6 matches.
Only the leader in each group qualifies, while the runners-up play the play-off matches to qualify for the expected event at the end of 2022. Mancini took over the technical management of "Squadra Azzura" after the scandal of not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, to miss the defending champion four times from the finals for the first time in six contracts.
Mancini is fully aware of the importance of bringing the Blues back to the world stage. "It is important that we play well, because after the European Cup it will be the most important match of the year. We are fully aware of the importance of winning."
The winner will secure qualification logically, knowing that Italy plays its last match on Northern Ireland on Monday, while Switzerland hosts Bulgaria.
After the painful defeat against Sweden in 2017, Mancini, the former coach of Inter and Manchester City, tried to inject a missing positive spirit, and he succeeded in achieving a long-awaited continental title.
"It is true that if we win, we will open the doors to qualifying for the World Cup, but in the end it is just a football match," the former striker continued, trying to ease the pressure on his players.
Mancini is missing striker Ciro Immobile with a calf injury, as well as Roma midfielders Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolo Zaniolo.
Veteran defense captain Giorgio Chiellini is also absent due to his failure to recover from a thigh injury, which prompted him to leave the team camp on Wednesday.
On the other hand, midfielder Nicolo Parella will return in a match that is expected to be attended by fifty thousand spectators at the Olympic Stadium in the capital, Rome.
Barilla left the San Siro stadium with a muscle injury during the Milan derby, which ended in a draw, but he trained on Wednesday with the team.
On the other hand, the Swiss national team will be without its star Granit Xhaka, as well as Benfica's Portuguese striker Haris Seferovic.
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