The Cult of Calcio
Italy will finish at worst in second place in their group, ensuring participation in the playoff bracket, after defeating the only opponents that could have potentially overtaken them, Israel, with a two-nil result, thanks to a brace by Mateo Retegui on Tuesday.
The Azzurri can technically still leapfrog Norway, but they don’t control their own destiny. Beating the rivals in the head-to-head match-up wouldn’t suffice. The overall goal difference is the first tie-breaker. Their foes have an insurmountable advantage there. The first place would be on the line only if Erling Haaland and company lost against Estonia, which have collected just five points so far.
Therefore, Italy are…
