From Switzerland to Switzerland. On 28 May 2018, the Roberto Mancini era began in St. Gallen, where the Azzurri ran out 2-1 winners against a Saudi Arabia side that were preparing to take part in a World Cup that Italy wouldn’t be involved in. Three years later, having won a European Championship, the Head Coach will return from Switzerland without three points that would have represented a significant step forward towards directly qualifying for a World Cup that, this time, the Azzurri want to experience as protagonists. As was the case against Bulgaria on Thursday, a clinical edge and a bit of luck were missing, with Sommer performing heroics in the Swiss goal. Jorginho’s missed penalty was one of many big opportunities that went begging: “Right now, the ball doesn’t want to go in: it’s a shame not to have won a game like this one,” said Mancini after the match. “We had so many chances and need to be more ruthless and precise. We dominated and could have won 2 or 3-0. The match was more difficult in the second half, but we had opportunities.” As for the Azzurri’s upcoming game against Lithuania on Wednesday, the Head Coach mentioned that changes would be made, while he also tweeted a congratulatory message to his players on setting a new world record for number of international matches unbeaten.

Giorgio Chiellini was back in the side in Basel, and the Azzurri captain produced another big performance on his 113th appearance for the National Team: “We played really well in all respects, both on a competitive and technical level. We were better than when we beat Switzerland 3-0 in June, but we were just missing a bit of precision to find the net. This was a big step forward compared to Thursday’s game, and I liked what the team did. The final step in the Nations League awaits and then, in November, it’ll be all about qualifying for the World Cup.” Lining up alongside Chiellini in the Azzurri backline was Di Lorenzo, who had the following to say: “There’s a bit of regret following all the chances that we weren’t able to convert; the ball doesn’t want to go in at the moment. A bit of ruthlessness and precision are perhaps missing in front of goal, but it’d be worse if we weren’t creating chances. On Wednesday, it’ll be vital to win.” Nobody is about to blame Jorginho following his penalty miss: “It was an important incident, but there were many other chances we didn’t make the most of. Jorginho has brought us joy on many occasions.”