In Sofia, Italy earned another three important points in qualifying for the Qatar World Cup, beating Bulgaria 2-0, thanks to a penalty scored in the 43rd minute by Belotti and a goal by Locatelli in the 82nd minute.
After a good debut against Northern Ireland, they find their 24th consecutive useful result. Mancini for the occasion he loses Berardi and Chiellini, not at their best, so he relaunches Chiesa and Acerbi, while in midfield he lines up Barella with Sensi and Verratti. On the left Spinazzola is preferred to Emerson while up front Immobile leaves space for Belotti. On the opposite front Petrov changes the module compared to the match lost with Switzerland and switches to 3-5-2 revolutionizing midfield and attack. For the Italian national team it is the first success in Bulgaria where they had never won, after 4 draws and 2 defeats in 6 previous matches.
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In the first half, Mancini's men were almost constantly (only one save by Donnarumma) in the Bulgarian half, but without creating much. Slow maneuver that crashed against the wall of the opponents, limited technically. With the changes in the second half, the direction passed to Locatelli. Belotti could have scored the second goal (post with an empty net). Instead, Locatelli scored it, just after coming on. The goals will be important for the qualification. Bulgaria is therefore no longer a cursed land for Italy, who not only broke the negative tradition of no victories, but continued with another victory the path towards Qatar. The series of victorious matches was also increased and the one without defeats reached 24 matches. Now there are 558 minutes without a goal conceded.
Locatelli doesn't shy away: "This isn't working. Juve is much stronger than this one."
The Maradona defeat also leaves significant repercussions on the words of Manuel Locatelli, who, after the 2-1 defeat against Napoli, opts for clarity. The Juventus captain defends Spalletti's playing style and rejects the idea that the absence of a key center forward had a significant impact.
"The coach asked us to play ball, and that's why he chose a team without a real offensive reference. On the pitch, you have to do what you've been prepared for: post-match, it's too easy to build arguments or look for excuses," he emphasized to DAZN. Locatelli then broadened the perspective, mentioning the team's difficult position in the standings and the need to shield the team from outside noise.
Mancini puts the brakes on: "Roma-Napoli isn't a Scudetto challenge yet."
Gianluca Mancini chooses the path of caution. At the CONI, after receiving the Beppe Viola Award, the Roma defender made a clear reflection: “If we are first today it is thanks to merit, we fought for every match.”
A premise that acknowledges the value of the Giallorossi's journey, but doesn't open the door to any rushes forward. When asked if Roma-Napoli can already be called a Scudetto challenge, Mancini immediately dampens any euphoria: "Before Roma-Napoli, there's an important European match. It's too early to talk about a 'Scudetto challenge'; it's still November."
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