Italy crumbled to a 4-1 World Cup qualifier defeat against Norway, with only Federico Dimarco and Sebastiano Esposito earning praise amidst a disastrous team performance that saw the defence sink.
Only two Italian players managed to save face amidst the crushing 4-1 loss against Norway in the World Cup qualifiers, with the national team’s defensive unit performing particularly poorly.
Goalkeeper and Defenders
Donnarumma 5.5
The goalkeeper could not be directly blamed for any of the four goals conceded, but he appeared uneasy on several occasions when required to claim the ball from Norway’s constant stream of crosses into the box.
Di Lorenzo 4.5
Positionally, the defender was stranded in a difficult hybrid role. He found himself “stuck in no man’s land,” being too far back to contribute effectively to the attack and too far forward to fulfill his primary defensive duties, a scenario that offered no benefit to the side.
Mancini 4.5
The centre-back endured several intense physical confrontations with Erling Haaland and succeeded in winning most of his ground duels. However, his aerial presence was deemed weak. His night ended poorly when Jorgen Strand Larsen successfully dribbled past him to secure Norway’s fourth goal.
Bastoni 4
This was a poor overall defensive showing from the player, who was visibly agitated in the second half, which predictably led to him receiving a booking. Worryingly, he surrendered possession during the sequence that led to Norway’s third goal. (86′ Buongiorno N/A)
Dimarco 6
One of the two players considered to have saved face during the night. He successfully delivered the assist for Esposito’s goal and created Italy’s best scoring opportunity during the second half.
Midfielders
Politano 5.5
The winger’s positive contributions included several “interesting cross-field passes,” one of which was key to setting up Italy’s goal. Conversely, he showed considerable weakness defensively, often struggling when forced to track back and defend in the final third, despite his high work rate.
Barella 5.5
His passing was simple and largely accurate, yet he only managed to win a single duel throughout the match. He was substituted off in the 86th minute, seemingly just before risking a second yellow card. (86′ Ricci N/A)
Locatelli 5
Although he made more touches than any other Italian player, the fundamental issue was the sluggish pace of ball distribution. The ball movement became entirely too slow when passing through him. (79′ Scamacca N/A)
Frattesi 4
The Inter midfielder had a night to forget. His signature late runs into the penalty area were completely absent. Making just 15 touches in nearly 70 minutes (per Sofascore), he was also deemed too careless defensively. (68′ Cristante 5)
Attackers
Retegui 5
The striker demonstrated commendable effort, particularly in the opening 45 minutes by fighting hard, but ultimately, he failed to generate enough quality chances to genuinely threaten the Norwegian defense.
Esposito 6
He was the team’s other redeeming performer, scoring his second goal in as many games and his third in his first five senior international appearances. This high scoring rate was noted as requiring no further elaboration. (79′ Zaccagni N/A)
Coach
Gattuso 4.5
The coach admitted his side “melted after the first difficulty.” While the first half was objectively good, the collapse suggests that performance was due to Norway’s “soft approach.” The team’s inability to react when Norway played properly is a deeply concerning factor ahead of the play-offs.