The draw against Sweden now mathematically secures second place in the group for the Azzurrini, who left Helsingborg this morning and will stay in Ascoli prior to taking to the field on Tuesday (at 17:30 CEST live on Rai2) in the all-decisive match against the Republic of Ireland. Italy still lead Group F with 21 points, with the Republic of Ireland trailing by two and three points ahead of Sweden. A draw in the last match will be enough to qualify for Euro 2023 and secure a first-place finish. There is yet a further ninety minutes, which will be tasking enough; it is for this reason that Nicolato has cancelled this afternoon’s training session.

The group needs to recharge their batteries for Tuesday. Nicolò Cambiaghi and Fabiano Parisi were the standouts against Sweden and are already looking ahead to the next match. “We had two fantastic performances against Luxembourg and Sweden”, explains Cambiaghi. “Unfortunately, we fell just short of a win yesterday. We created plenty of chances but are now already focused on the next match against the Republic of Ireland. We are a really strong group and I'm sure we will be well-prepared to perform well on Tuesday. That’s just how this team is, we simply never give up".

Parisi shared largely similar views: "The match against Sweden was a tricky one. I was played the entire game so towards the end was getting cramp, but I fought through it because I knew how important the victory would be. We got a bit unlucky with the result, but we go again in Ascoli. Now we must recover well to ensure we are in the right physical condition for the match against Ireland. We know we are a solid team and most importantly, we know the direction we want to go in. Our focus is already fixed on Tuesday’s game, with qualification up for grabs. We won’t let it slip from our grasp".