Italy draw: there is the Portugal nightmare in the World Cup playoffs. Here are the dates – Sport

Rome, November 26, 2021 – L‘Italy in the playoff draw for i World Cup in Qatar found the fearsome Portugal on its way. The Azzurri, seeded, if they win the first match at home against North Macedonia on 24 March, then in the final of group C they will face the winner between Turkey and the Lusitanian national team by Cristiano Ronaldo. Match that will be played by Italy, if winning with the Macedonians, the March 29 away, or to Portugal or Turkey.

At 17 in Zurich, the 12 teams that will participate in the play-offs were drawn, divided into three groups of four nationals (with 2 seeded and 2 unseeded). The three winners of their group will participate in the next appointment in Qatar 2022.

Here are the pairings for the semifinals

Group A:

Scotland-Ukraine

Wales-Austria

Group B:

Russia-Poland

Sweden-Czech Republic

Group C:

Italy-North Macedonia

Portugal-Turkey.

A more complicated playoff

Unlike the 2017 playoffs, when Italy was eliminated by Sweden remaining out of the Russian World Cup, this time the Azzurri will have to beat two opponents to qualify: semifinal (March 24) and final (March 29). The national team is seeded so they will play the semi-final at home on March 24 in a single match.

Mancini: it could have been better

Coach Mancini hoped to avoid CR7: “It’s not a great draw, it could have been a little better “. The coach of the Italian national team, speaking to Rai Sport, commended the ballot box in Zurich: “Both we and Portugal will have to win a match first. These are dry matches, there are always difficulties. If we get to the World Cup? We are always confident and positive. Macedonia made a good qualifying group, we will have to play a great match and then we will see what happens in the final. “On Joao Pedro in blue he does not close the door:” He is an excellent striker who knows the championship, but let’s not forget what they have did the boys at the European Championship. “And about the penalty nightmare:” The next one? We hope they give it to us, we’ll find someone who will kick it “.