Israel – Italy: Defensive Horror Show (4 – 5)

In a rollercoaster of emotions and defensive mistakes, Italy secured a decisive victory to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the next World Cup. Beyond the three points, this match should raise more than a few question marks about the system and some of the players deployed tonight, in order to avoid further shameful performances when the level of the opposition rises.Tactical analysis and match report by Agostino Dosselli.

After failing to qualify for two consecutive World Cup editions, and having been demolished in the first match of this qualification campaign against Norway, Italy now finds itself with its back against the wall. The only possible solution is to win all the remaining matches and score as many goals as possible in order to qualify directly for the next World Cup and avoid the nightmare of the play-off round, which has already proven lethal on previous occasions. After thrashing Estonia last Friday, Italy's next opponent is Israel, currently sitting in second place. It's a crucial match that could already determine the fate of this group.

Mister Shimon opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation for Israel. Daniel Peretz started in goal, with Stan Lemkin and Idan Nachmias as the centrebacks, flanked by Eli Dasa on the right and Roy Revivo on the left. In midfield, Eliel Peretz and Dor Peretz formed the double pivot, while the talented Oscar Gloukh operated as the number ten. On the wings, Manor Solomon and Anan Khalaili were chosen, with Dan Biton as the centre forward.

Mister Gattuso now faces the challenge of confirming all the positive aspects from the previous match, while managing a couple of players who are not . . .