Italy’s bid to end a 12-year World Cup absence will continue after beating Northern Ireland 2-0 on Thursday to reach the play-off final.
Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean scored the second-half goals which decided a tight game in Bergamo to book Italy a showdown away from home against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Tonali’s rocket of a strike in the 56th minute and Kean’s excellent finish 10 minutes from the end were two rare moments of quality from a match which had huge significance for four-time world champions Italy.