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PORTO: Portugal are through to a decisive World Cup qualifying playoff final next week after beating Turkey 3-1 in Porto on Thursday (Mar 24), but only after Burak Yilmaz missed a crucial late penalty for the visitors.
PORTO, Portugal : Portugal coach Fernando Santos said he warned many times that North Macedonia could shock Italy and he was proved right when they won their World Cup qualifying playoff semi-final 1-0 in Palermo on Thursday.
Roberto Mancini has lamented Italy's bad luck for their shock World Cup play-off defeat by North Macedonia, before remaining coy on his future.
European champions Italy did not qualify for the World Cup four years ago, their first failure to reach soccer's global showpiece tournament since 1958, but they dominated from the off in Palermo and looked on course for victory.
Italy will miss their second World Cup in a row after slumping to a shock 1-0 play-off semi-final defeat to North Macedonia.
European champions Italy will not feature at the World Cup later this year after a monumental upset defeat to North Macedonia in their play-off semi-final.
Italia ha logrado cancelar en una noche terrible, la peor de su historia, toda la alegría y la ilusión que había generado con su triunfo en la pasada Eurocopa. Macedonia del Norte, el equipo número 67 del ranking FIFA dejó a la Azzurra sin Mundial por segunda vez consecutiva y se jugará la final de la repesca ante Portugal. Caer en Oporto habría sido entendible, esto es inexplicable.
El seleccionador italiano, Roberto Mancini, lamentó la eliminación en los 'playoffs' para el Mundial de Catar a manos de Macedonia del Norte (0-1) y afirmó que vive «el momento más difícil» de su carrera pese a haber ganado la Eurocopa hace tan solo ocho meses. «El pasado mes de julio viví la alegría más bonita de mi carrera en la Eurocopa. Ahora he vivido la mayor decepción. Esto es fútbol, a veces pasan cosas increíbles. Es difícil para mí analizar el partido», indicó Mancini tras la derrota sufrida en Palermo.