Italy closes in on World Cup spot
Italy moved within one win of ending its 12-year World Cup absence with a 2-0 qualification playoff semi-final victory over Northern Ireland thanks to second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.
The breakthrough arrived in the 56th minute when Tonali pounced on a cleared cross, letting the ball bounce once before firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Kean effectively ended the contest in the 80th minute, latching onto a Tonali pass and ghosting past his marker before dispatching a low strike into the net.
The four-time world champions will on Tuesday face the winner of the clash between Wales and Bosnia & Herzegovina for a place at the tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico in June-July.
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