Roberto Mancini is sure European champions Italy will qualify for the 2022 World Cup following their 1-1 draw against Switzerland.
Top spot in Group C will be decided in the final round of games after Jorginho missed a late penalty for Euro 2020 winners Italy in Rome on Friday.
Italy fell behind to a powerful Silvan Widmer strike after 11 minutes but hit back through fellow right-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo s header before half-time.
The Azzurri – who failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia three years ago – had a glorious chance to seize control on the road to Qatar 2022, however, Jorginho skied his 90th-minute spot-kick over the crossbar.
Automatic qualification is in the balance, though Italy have a slightly better goal difference, so they only need to match Switzerland s final-game result to finish top of the pool and condemn Murat Yakin s men to the play-offs in March and head coach Mancini remains confident.
3 After having scored each of the first six penalties taken for Italy, Jorginho has failed his last three, two against Switzerland (incl. penalty shoot-outs). Waste.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo)
They are sorry, it s normal, Mancini told reporters, with Italy to visit Northern Ireland on Monday as Switzerland host Bulgaria.
And then a penalty like that in the 90th minute, it s clear that they are sorry but nothing can be done now. We will get to the World Cup, I m sure.
Italy boss Mancini added: It s complicated but we are two goals ahead. We have to go there, try to play our game and win and hope that Bulgaria will have a great game.
We have to play our game and win, this is our task. Right now, we must recover our energy, it was a very tough game. We need to be confident, even when things don t seem to go well, they can change.
The team always try to do their best, in some moments of the season the players struggle more and the many injuries are a demonstration of this.
Two goals are two goals; they seem like nothing but they are two goals… and then who says that Bulgaria cannot get a positive result? We are slightly ahead, now we are thinking about winning in Northern Ireland.
