World Cup qualifiers, shock start for Italy: in Norway knockout without appeal
It begins as badly as it could not have done Italy’s path in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers: at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, in fact, the national team coached by Luciano Spalletti loses 3-0 against Norway, making itself the protagonist of a colorless game that immediately fuels the doubts of a movement that has not experienced the rainbow review since the 2014 edition in Brazil.
The evening takes on gloomy tones, sportingly speaking, already after not even a quarter of an hour: it is the 14th′ in fact, when a mistake by Bastoni allows Nusa to recover the ball and serve Sorloth, whose diagonal pass over Donnarumma for the 1-0. Italy’s response is in a shot by Raspadori that does not frame the goal at 26′ but it is still Norway that comes close to doubling the score, at 32′ however, Donnarumma is good on Sorloth and deflects it into a corner.
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The 2-0 came, however, just two minutes after the previous action: Thorsby served Nusa, who produced a great right-footer that left no chance for the Italian goalkeeper, thus driving the home crowd crazy. Already on the ropes, Italy capitulated in minute 42: Odegaard passed the ball to Haaland, who skipped past Donnarumma and deposited the 3-0 ball into an empty goal.
At the start of the second half there’s Frattesi for Rovella, but the script of the match does not change, so much so that Berge comes very close to making it 4-0 in minute 66, hitting the post on the development of a free kick from a defiladed position. More changes for the Azzurri come in the 71′, with Lucca and Orsolini taking over from Retegui and Zappacosta, while at the 83’83’ there are Ricci and Dimarco for Raspadori and Udogie. The substance, however, does not change: no other chances of note are recorded, Norway beats Italy 3-0.
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