Italy weigh fitness calls as Gattuso prepares for Northern Ireland’s direct test

Italy’s preparations have been shaped by encouraging news on Sandro Tonali and a more cautious outlook on Alessandro Bastoni and Gianluca Scamacca, with Gennaro Gattuso underscoring the need to handle Northern Ireland’s direct, second‑ball game in their latest competitive qualifier under the UEFA competition regulations.

Selection watch in midfield and defence

• Key Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali is expected to be fit, despite missing Newcastle United’s derby loss at home to Sunderland on Sunday.
• Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni remains a doubt, though he took a small part in training.
• Gattuso said striker Gianluca Scamacca “is a little further behind.”

The Tonali update points to greater continuity in Italy’s midfield structure, a significant consideration for Gattuso as he settles into the role of national team coach following his appointment to succeed Luciano Spalletti. His availability would support the team’s out-of-possession press and early build-up patterns, particularly against a side likely to cede territory and play over the first line. Bastoni’s status is more delicate: if he is limited or unavailable, Italy may have to recalibrate their left‑side distribution and coverage on aerial balls into the channels, potentially altering the balance between risk-taking in possession and defensive security. Scamacca’s situation could leave Italy to manage minutes carefully at centre-forward, with an emphasis on collective chance creation – rotations from wide and late runs from midfield – rather than relying on a single focal point.

Gattuso frames the style battle

In his press conference, Gattuso – a World Cup winner as a player in 2006 – said Italy will have to adapt to a “direct approach.” He expanded: “They really believe a great deal in what they’re doing, with the second balls and they like to play direct, vertical football.”

The Italy coach acknowledged Northern Ireland’s running power and energy, calling directness “their main skillset” and “where they will cause us the most problems.” He added: “I haven’t seen a team that’s necessarily going to be keeping the ball and dragging you out of position in the middle of the park… They play very direct and everything that they do, they do it in an impressive fashion.”

In response, O’Neill said “we don’t consider any of that” when it comes to setting his team up – a reminder that Northern Ireland’s plan is fixed on their internal benchmarks rather than trading pre‑match narratives. For both federations, whose performance is closely watched by domestic leagues and government sports authorities that co-fund infrastructure and youth development, the tactical choices in games like this feed into wider judgments about the direction of the national-team project.

Set pieces, second balls and the risk-reward trade

For Italy, the contest’s hinge points are clear and largely structural rather than purely individual:

• First and second contacts: Northern Ireland’s direct supply line makes defensive positioning around the initial duel – and the collapse on the second ball – decisive. Midfield spacing around Tonali’s zone becomes critical if he is declared fit, allowing Italy to compress space around knockdowns rather than retreating deeper.
• Dead-ball management: As Gattuso noted, Northern Ireland are “incredible” when they fill the box from crosses and set plays. Italy must balance aggressive marking with clean restarts to avoid repeat pressure, an area that will be scrutinised by analysts at federation level given how often set pieces decide tournament paths.
• Transition control: Quick, vertical attacks can disorganize a back line recovering from long balls. Clarity on the spare defender and goalkeeper starting positions will matter if Bastoni’s minutes are restricted, with communication and decision-making as important as individual duels.
• Striker rotation: With Scamacca “a little further behind,” Italy may spread goal threat across multiple runners, prioritizing wide overloads and late midfield arrivals rather than constant target play. That, in turn, tests how quickly Gattuso’s attacking structures can be internalised by a squad still adjusting to his methods.

Why the tactical detail matters

Beyond individual availability, this matchup tests Italy’s ability to impose structure on a game that may resist sustained possession. Handling long phases without the ball – and the territorial swings created by direct service – is as much about discipline as it is about duels. Efficient restarts, minimized fouls near the area, and superior box organization can tilt a fine margin encounter that carries implications for seeding and tournament qualification, and by extension for how both associations defend their high-performance strategies to public stakeholders.

At European international level, fixtures are staged under the oversight of the Italian Football Federation on the home side and their counterparts in Belfast, operating within UEFA’s regulatory and commercial framework, where set‑piece proficiency and game management frequently decide outcomes when stylistic contrasts collide. If Italy absorb the aerial and second‑ball pressure while converting territorial control into quality chances, they strengthen selection continuity and confidence for the next camp. If Northern Ireland dictate the tempo through restarts and verticality, the balance shifts toward a game of attrition on their terms, reinforcing the value of their model for maximising resources against technically stronger opposition.

What to watch in the opening quarter-hour

• How Italy position their midfield screen on Northern Ireland’s first few long deliveries, and whether the distances between centre-backs and holding midfielders stay compact.
• Whether Italy can draw fouls in advanced areas without conceding them in their own third, a trade that will reveal early which side is winning the territory battle.
• The involvement level of Tonali and any protective adjustments around Bastoni’s side if he features, including support from the full-back and nearest midfielder.

In a meeting likely decided by territory and restarts as much as open-play control, the early pattern will reveal whether Italy can keep the game on the deck – or whether Northern Ireland’s vertical rhythm forces a contest of aerial duels and second balls, exactly where Gattuso expects the greatest challenge and where national-team decision‑makers will learn the most about his Italy under competitive stress.