Gattuso wary of physical N. Ireland in play-offs

Four-time World Cup winners Italy will face Northern Ireland in the semifinals of the European playoffs for the 2026 tournament, following the draw on Nov 20.

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If Italy get through that match on March 26, they will play the winner of Wales’ semifinal against Bosnia and Herzegovina five days later.

The Italians, who have failed to reach the last two World Cups, will be hoping to avoid the painful elimination they suffered in the playoffs for the 2022 Finals in Qatar and the 2018 edition in Russia.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso warned that Northern Ireland are a team who “never gives up”.

“It’s a physical team,” he told Sky Sports Italia after the draw.

“We have to play it. I’ve been saying this for three months. We knew we had to go through the playoffs; we knew our path had to improve. We look ahead with confidence.”