Italy 1-1 Switzerland: 5 talking points as Azzurri are held in tense draw after Jorginho's late penalty miss | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Italy and Switzerland played out a tense 1-1 draw in Rome in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Friday (November 12. The result leaves Group C hanging in the balance ahead of the final gameweek.
Silvan Widmer's stunning early opener for the visitors was canceled out by Giovanni Di Lorenzo before the break. Both sides were guilty of missing some good chances throughout the game.
Nicolo Barella executed a poor close-range shot right at Yann Sommer while Jorginho missed a penalty for the Azzurri in the 89th minute. Then in stoppage-time, Andi Zeqiri made a mess of a gilt-edged chance in the final third, as the nervy encounter ended in a share of the spoils.
Italy, however, will feel they should've really finished the job here. They managed 64% possession, completed nearly twice as many passes as Switzerland and, most importantly, were playing on home soil.
All's not lost yet for either team, however, as attention now turns towards their final games. The Euro 2020 champions travel to Northern Ireland while Switzerland will host Bulgaria in the final showdown for a direct World Cup spot.
Here are the major talking points from the game:
#5 Switzerland catch Italy on the break
Against the run of play, the Swiss snatched an early lead over the Euro champions last night, thanks to a well-executed counter-attack. But the home side also deserve some blame for switching off defensively.
As a throw-in was played, La Nati were quick to react, with Ricardo Rodriguez dispossessing Federico Cheisa. Denis Zakaria then squared the ball to Xherdan Shaqiri, who released Noah Okafor down the left.
What. A. GOAL! Switzerland's Silvan Widmer strikes first vs. reigning Euro champion Italy in a game that will determine which one enters the final matchday on top of their World Cup qualifying group 🚀
(via @TUDNUSA)
https://t.co/zAvaJLrc5p
The Swiss No.9 ran up the pitch, outpacing Francesco Acerbi, before laying it off for Silvan Widmer to produce a fine finish into the far post.
Now, the gap Italy left between him and the onrushing Widmer was staggering to say the least, as he drove forward unchallenged. The Azzurri then failed to close the angle before he got his shot away to let in a disappointing goal.
#4 Italy pull level through clever free-kick
With the Rossocrociati looking bright following their early opener, Italy needed a moment of inspiration. They did get it through Nicolo Barella, but he made a mess of a gilt-edged chance from close-range.
Luckily, just past the half-hour mark, they won a free-kick on the edge of the Swiss box on the left. Lorenzo Insigne and Emerson both stood over it and the latter produced a clever dummy that unsettled the Switzerland wall.
2 - Giovanni Di Lorenzo has scored his second goal for Italy (both in the World Cup Qualifiers) and the first Italian National Team's headed goal since October 2020, with Stephan El Shaarawy against Moldova in a friendly match. Flight.
#ItaliaSvizzera https://t.co/cgRrKwK4AC
Insigne then raced back to hook in a fine cross that was converted home by Di Lorenzo with a glancing header past Yann Sommer. And just like that, Italy were level.