Italy missed out on the World Cup finals again after losing 1-0 at home to North Macedonia in their playoff semi-final on Thursday as Aleksandar Trajkovski’s last-gasp strike earned the visitors a famous win.
European champions Italy did not qualify for the World Cup four years ago, their first failure to reach soccer’s global showpiece tournament since 1958, but they dominated from the off in Palermo and looked on course for victory.
The hosts became more desperate in their search for a winner after the break as chances continued to come and go before, in stoppage time, Trajkovski arrowed in a stunning winner to spark wild North Macedonian celebrations.
Roberto Mancini’s Italy side had 32 efforts at goal in the match, but somehow fell short, with North Macedonia going on to play Portugal in the playoff final next week for a place in the Qatar World Cup which will not involve Italy once more.
“It is a huge disappointment,” Italy midfielder Jorginho told Rai Sport. “It hurts, it hurts so much.
“We have always created and dominated matches but we have not been able to finish teams off. It is not to blame anyone in particular but it is the reality.
“I don’t know why we haven’t been able to do this, I am also involved in this, and it hurts me to think about it.”
Without veteran pairing Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini through injury, Italy’s makeshift defence was barely troubled in the first half, as all the action took place down the other end.
Domenico Berardi had the best of the openings having been presented with the ball after North Macedonia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski misplaced a pass, but the Sassuolo forward’s shot was tame, with Dimitrievski getting back to make the save.
Ciro Immobile also wasted a glorious first-half chance for Italy when blazing over the bar from a good position.
Berardi was again guilty of profligacy after the break, shooting over when he should have hit the target.
As the match wore on, Italy nerves kicked in and their finishing became more erratic. Mancini shuffled his pack, giving Cagliari striker Joao Pedro his debut, but with their only meaningful attack of the match, North Macedonia seized their chance.
Italy did not look to be in too much danger, but Trajkovski, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Fayha, had other ideas, writing his name into North Macedonian folklore with a shot that crept inside the post to stun the home fans.
Portugal beat Turkey 3-1 to edge closer to World Cup
Portugal moved one step closer to reaching the World Cup with a 3-1 win over Turkey, whose striker Burak Yilmaz skied a penalty five minutes from fulltime that would have drawn the sides level in their playoff semi-final on Thursday.
Roared by a sold-out Dragao Stadium in Porto, Portugal dominated the game from the start and went 2-0 up in the first half after Otavio scored one goal and created another for Diogo Jota.
But Fernando Santos’s side were pegged back by a Yilmaz goal in 65th minute that put the Portuguese fans on the edge of their seats as Turkey started to threaten.
Defender Jose Fonte then fouled Enes Unal inside the area in the 85th minute to concede a penalty that Yilmaz fired high over the bar.
Portugal substitute Matheus Nunes relieved the pressure on the hosts in added time with their third goal from a counter attack.
After missing out on automatic qualification in November, they will now host North Macedonia on Tuesday with the winner qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Brilliant Bale inspires Wales to victory in World Cup playoff semi
Gareth Bale scored both goals as Wales edged Austria 2-1 in their playoff semi-final on Thursday to move a step closer to a first World Cup finals appearance in 64 years.
The 32-year-old forward fired home a precise free kick in the 25th minute to open the scoring, emphasising his role as the team’s talisman with a superb effort in Cardiff.
It was followed up by quick thinking from a short corner in the 51st from which captain Bale scored again to ensure Wales’ progress to a playoff final at home to either Scotland or Ukraine in June.
A deflected shot from Marcel Sabitzer in the 64th minute offered Austria hope of a comeback as a wasteful Wales endured a nervy finish but the home side held on for a deserved win to stay on course for only their second World Cup appearance.
Bale lifted the atmosphere and propelled his team mates to victory with a superb left-footed free kick from outside the penalty area that dipped dramatically into the top corner of Heinz Lindner’s goal.
Wales, World Cup quarter-finalists in 1958, survived a scare when Christoph Baumgartner slammed the ball against the bar in the fifth minute but once Bale had opened the scoring they found their rhythm and created numerous chances.
Their pressing and counter-attacking game offered opportunities, especially five minutes from halftime when Aaron Ramsey sprinted upfield only to see his shot expertly turned around the corner by a diving Lindner.
The Austrian also made two important second-half stops from breakaways led by Dan James but could do nothing about Bale’s close-range shot that doubled the lead six minutes into the second half.
A short corner routine saw the ball played into the box where Ben Davies looked to bring it under control but Bale stole it off his team mate, turning to slam the ball home.
Real Madrid forward Bale should have had a hat-trick on the counter-attack just past the hour mark but his left-footed effort sailed wide.
Austria reduced the Wales lead when Sabitzer was given time to shoot from outside the area with the effort deflecting off Davies and wrong-footing goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
It threatened to make Wales pay for squandering their chances but they held out and might have added a third right at the end when Lindner made another fine stop to deny Ramsey.
“It was a massive game. We knew how big the game was, and we had to perform,” Bale said.
“It was nice to see the free kick go in, to get some momentum. The second one was nice as well. I had some cramp at the end but I’ll run into the ground for this country.”
Quaison fires Sweden to extra-time World Cup playoff win over Czechs
Sweden substitute Robin Quaison struck in the second half of extra time to secure a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic and set up a clash away to Poland next Tuesday with a place at the World Cup finals in Qatar up for grabs.
The Czechs had an early goal ruled out for a foul and the Swedes had the lion’s share of possession for most of the playoff semi-final, but the two sides struggled to break each other down in a game full of tough tackling and wayward passing.
Alexander Isak almost opened the scoring early with a deft volley form a corner that flew just wide, and winger Emil Forsberg had a shot deflected past the post just before halftime as Sweden tried to take the game to the Czechs.
The attacking trio of Forsberg, Isak and Dejan Kulusevski caused the injury-hit Czechs all manner of problems but, with the Swedes missing both of their first-choice full backs, they often struggled to get the ball to their forwards out wide.
The visitors had some dangerous moments of their own, with Tomas Soucek flashing a header just wide on the hour and Jan Kuchta wasting a decent chance by curling a shot past the left post when he should at least have forced a save by Robin Olsen.
Sweden substitute Mattias Svanberg went closest for the Swedes in normal time, but his header from Forsberg’s corner was aimed straight at visiting goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.
The game finished scoreless after 90 minutes and appeared to be heading for penalties when Quaison danced through the defence before exchanging passes with Isak and slotting the ball into the net to send the home fans in the 48,628 crowd into ecstasy.
There was still time for 19-year-old Anthony Elanga to win his first cap and the young winger did his bit, holding up the ball and showing flashes of his electric pace as the Swedes ran down the clock.
“I’m just glad we scored a goal, I’m very happy right now,” Sweden captain Victor Lindelof said. “We still managed to create some chances and it felt like we were stronger than them.
“The first half was OK, I don’t think we were prepared for their duels and the way they played, but in the second we came out a better team and played better football,” he added.
