Here we are: the most important week of the last 10 years for the entire Italian football movement is about to begin. Italy under Gennaro Gattuso is playing for access to the 2026 World Cup with the goal of not being excluded from the tournament for the third consecutive edition. Awaiting the Azzurri in the semifinal will be Northern Ireland.
Recommended bet: 1
The pressure right now is extremely high. Italy, in terms of technical quality, is superior to all the other teams competing for qualification to the 2026 World Cup. However, the Azzurri have been shockingly absent from the tournament for more than 10 years. The mix of these factors could result in a tense and tight match, at the end of which, however, we hope the Azzurri will prevail, also thanks to the support of the home crowd.
Inter players in the National Team, who will play against Northern Ireland? Pio Esposito in doubt
The Inter players called up by coach Gennaro Gattuso for the Italy matches are: Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolò Barella, Davide Frattesi, Federico Dimarco, and Francesco Pio Esposito. Among these, there is a high probability of seeing Barella and Dimarco start. Esposito will compete for a spot with Retegui and Kean, while Frattesi is expected to start on the bench. Bastoni’s availability is still uncertain, as he has not yet fully recovered from the knock he suffered in the derby against Milan after a clash with Rabiot.
The odds for Italy-Northern Ireland
Here are the main odds for Italy-Northern Ireland offered by Betsson, Bet365, and Snai, bookmakers offering very interesting bets for this match:
| 1 | X | 2 |
| 1.30 | 4.75 | 8.50 |
| OVER 2.5 | UNDER 2.5 |
| 1.80 | 2.00 |
| GOL | NO GOL |
| 2.27 | 1.56 |
| 1X | 1-2 | x2 |
| 1.03 | 1.16 | 3.45 |
Probable lineups Italy-Northern Ireland
Italy (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Mancini, Buongiorno, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Retegui, Kean.
Coach: Gennaro Gattuso
Northern Ireland (3-5-2): Hazard; McNair, McConville, Brown; Hume, Lyons, McDonnell, Galbraith, Lewis; Price, Donley.
Coach: Michael O’Neill
Italy-Northern Ireland, where to watch: DAZN, Sky, Rai or Mediaset?
Italy-Northern Ireland will be broadcast Thursday, March 26 at 20:45 live on TV on Rai 1. The match between Italy-Northern Ireland will also be available live streaming: subscribers can watch it on the official Rai Play website, or by downloading the app on devices such as PC, tablet, or smartphone.
