No matter how bad it is, we can still enter the play-offs! Italy’s veteran captain is lying in the World Cup, Gattuso hints that it is difficult to compete for first place

The World Cup qualifiers began one after another, and soon it was the turn of the three giants Spain, Portugal and Italy to make their collective appearance. It is not difficult for Spain and Portugal to win the first place in the group. Only Italy can basically only fall into the play-offs for three consecutive times. Gattuso hinted that it is no longer possible to win the first place in the group.

Spain in Group E has won both games, ranking first in the group, and has scored 9 goals without conceding a single goal. It is not difficult to obtain direct qualification for the World Cup when the opponents in the same group are not strong. Despite the episode of Yamal withdrawing from the squad and Nico also missing due to injury, Arsenal midfielder Merino said at the pre-match press conference that the inability of the two young players to participate will definitely have an impact. However, everyone on the list has strong one-on-one ability, and no matter who plays, they can show Spain's distinctive characteristics.

Similarly, Portugal, which has won two consecutive games in Group F, has scored 8 goals in two games and has good offensive power. However, it conceded the first goal against Hungary and conceded two goals in one game. The defensive problems are worthy of attention. Cristiano Ronaldo is still the symbol of the team. It is his last time to participate in the World Cup. There is no doubt about his fighting spirit. How much strength can be maintained is the key. In recent days, news of B Fee leaving Manchester United has been circulating. I don’t know how much impact it will have on the Manchester United captain.

England in Group K has a bye this round, and the second and third place in the group will meet directly. If Serbia cannot defeat Albania, England can advance to the World Cup two rounds in advance by defeating the underdog next week. England was not idle and arranged a friendly match. For the first time since 1992, there was no player in the starting lineup from Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. Arsenal fans may be unhappy, why can't Rice and Saka rest.

In Group I, which has attracted much attention, Italy has one game in hand and currently has a goal difference advantage over Israel, which has the same points. It ranks second in the group, 6 points less than the top leader Norway, and 16 goals behind on goal difference. Obviously, in the face of Norway's stable performance, even if Italy defeats its opponent at home in the final round, it will be difficult to restore the huge goal difference, and the chance of falling into the play-offs is quite high.

Gattuso, who just took over the team, also expressed concerns about the situation before the game. He believed that Italy must gain more points and cannot make any assumptions. The team will not automatically enter the play-offs and no game can be taken lightly. These remarks seem to have given up the fight for first place in the group, indicating that Italy has lost the opportunity to directly qualify for the World Cup.

In fact, Gattuso does not have to worry about losing qualification for the play-offs. According to the rules, the 12 second-placed teams in the group, plus the 4 teams with better results in the four levels of the UEFA Nations League, can participate in the European play-offs. Judging from the UEFA Nations League rankings, the teams ranked in front of Italy can basically get the top two in the European qualifying group. This means that no matter how bad things are, even if they miss the top two in the group, Italy, which is at the top of the UEFA Nations League A level, can still get a place in the play-offs through the UEFA Nations League's supplementary route.

Perhaps, the biggest difference is that if you enter the play-offs through the second place in the European preliminaries, your opponents may be slightly weaker, while if you enter through the UEFA Nations League, your opponents may be stronger. However, in the previous World Cup, Italy lost to Sweden in the play-offs. In the last World Cup, Italy lost to North Macedonia in the play-offs. Does it really matter who the opponent is?

Gattuso needs to face the embarrassment of falling into the play-offs for three consecutive years. On the other side, Cannavaro, who once won the World Cup as captain, was confirmed as the head coach of Uzbekistan a few days ago. Since Uzbekistan has already qualified for the World Cup, Cannavaro's move can be said to be lying in the World Cup. Facing reporters' questions, Gattuso could only smile bitterly. At the press conference, he couldn't help but joke that Cannavaro could participate in the World Cup by spraying some perfume and applying some hair gel, but the Italian team still had to work hard to get tickets.

As the saying goes, like people but different fates, Gattuso and Cannavaro, who once stood together and won the World Cup together, experienced completely different experiences between the two Italian coaches. It is not too difficult for England, Spain, Portugal, and even Germany to enter the World Cup. What about Italy, will it miss the third consecutive World Cup?