COVERCIANO (Florence). Who gets off to a good start is half the battle. This is the thought that accompanies Roberto Mancini in the preparation of the first race valid for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers: the one in …
COVERCIANO (Florence). Who gets off to a good start is half the battle. This is the thought that accompanies Roberto Mancini in preparing for the first match valid for qualifying for the 2022 World Cup: the one scheduled for tomorrow at 8.45 pm at the Tardini in Parma against Northern Ireland, the number 110 in the history of the national team. Precisely because it is the Azzurri’s first match after 5 months and because the opponent is one of the tough ones, the coach wants to start on the right foot, aware that in the path that leads to the appointment in Qatar “you must never go wrong”.
The formation tested yesterday afternoon in training has nothing experimental: usually 4-3-3, with Donnarumma in goal, Florenzi, Bonucci, Chiellini and Emerson in defense, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Locatelli and Verratti in midfield, Chiesa (in ballot with Berardi), Immobile and Insigne in attack. The only player in doubt among these probable 11 starters is Pellegrini: his place could be taken by the Inter player Barella, one of the key points not only of the Serie A leaders but also of the blue chessboard. The rest of the line-up, barring unforeseen circumstances, should not include surprises and changes and therefore Mancini, apart from the use of the young Locatelli in the role of director due to the absence of the injured Jorginho (blow to the knee, he remained to be treated at London with the Chelsea staff), seems never as willing as this time to rely on experience.
Starting from the back department: for captain Chiellini it would be the first match with the national team since the last one, the one on 12 October 2020 won against Greece by 2-0, valid for the European qualifiers: it would coincide with his 106th presence in blue . Leonardo Bonucci will celebrate the milestone of 100 matches in the national team, while Florenzi will touch 41 and Immobile 42: after the two Juventus defenders they are the players with the most experience in the national team. In midfield, Verratti is the player with the most appearances, Thursday’s will be the 39th. In the offensive trident, known as the Lazio attacker, Federico Chiesa is instead projected in case of use towards match number 22 with Italy. The son of art, however, is currently in a runoff with Berardi, while on the left the use of Insigne seems obvious, also among the veterans of the group with 38 appearances and 7 goals.