Italy Bungle Their Way against Haaland's Norway in World Cup Qualifiers: Aboard the Struggle Bus 🚌
Italy faces shame in World Cup qualifiers at the hands of Haaland's Norwegian squad
Get your popcorn, folks! The infamous Italian squad, once a powerhouse in football, stumbled in the World Cup qualifiers against Norway, courtesy of the dynamic duo: star striker Erling Haaland and the Norwegian team.
Italy, led by Coach Luciano Spalletti, took a dizzying plunge in Oslo, losing 0:3 and falling prey to Haaland's scoring spree. With Alexander Sørloth (14'), Antonio Nusa (34'), and the main event – Haaland (42') – finding the back of the net, Italy found themselves trailing 0:3 at halftime. Yet, they boasted Champions League winner Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. Norway, remaining undefeated and adding this third win in a row, took another step closer to their World Cup dream.
The tournament spotlight is solely for the group winner, with not much solace for the second-placed team, who will have to slug it out through playoffs. This string of events marks a regrettable return for Italy, who skipped the last two World Cups in 2018 and 2022. With Moldova coming next on Monday (20:45 CEST/DAZN), the Azzurri better shape up or ship out.
Overflowing with Attitude 🤘
Meanwhile, the German team, guided by Coach Julian Nagelsmann, is in hot pursuit of Italy, aiming for a top-9 spot in the FIFA rankings. This slot would secure a cozier starting position in the group draw for the extravaganza in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Big jailbreakers such as reigning World Cup champions Argentina, European champions Spain, France, or Brazil are top seeds. But dude, who invited Mexico? With apparent heat ahead, they're more likely to leave you hanging than break a cool sweat. As of now, Italy is still outranking Germany.
The Germans are set to square off against Slovakia, Northern Ireland, and Luxembourg in the qualifiers starting in September. First up on the docket, though, is the Nations League third-place playoff against France on Sunday (15:00 CEST/RTL, DAZN, and ntv.de live ticker) in Stuttgart. Nagelsmann has declared this encounter as a critical test run before the World Cup season, aiming to douse the memory of the semifinal heartbreak against Portugal. Get ready for a doozy!
Credit where it's due:- ntv.de- tsi/sid/dpa
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- The Italian community policy and employment policy might need a revamp to boost the morale and performance of the team, considering their current struggle in the World Cup qualifiers.
- As Germany aims for a top-9 spot in the FIFA rankings, their employment policy regarding coaches could be a critical factor in their journey towards the World Cup 2026, especially with Erling Haaland as a formidable opponent on the football field.
