Capello identifies Italy’s ‘positives and negatives’ ahead of World Cup play-off Final
Former Milan, Roma and Juventus coach Fabio Capello saw the ‘usual flows’ of Italian football in the Azzurri’s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland, but enjoyed the ‘reaction’ and the contribution of Francesco Pio Esposito.
Italy are off to Zenica today, on the eve of the World Cup play-off Final against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Azzurri trained at Coverciano on Monday morning, before taking a private flight to Bosnia. Later today, coach Gennaro Gattuso and captain Gigio Donnarumma will preview the Final during a pre-match press conference.
The Azzurri beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo last week with goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean in the second half.
“Having overcome that obstacle with a shy first half and a second half in which we found ourselves again was psychologically very important,” Capello told Gazzetta.
“It certainly helped the players understand our real value, and I believe that Gattuso, ahead of the match with Bosnia, will also work on this.”
The Azzurri were not let down by a mediocre first-half performance in Bergamo last week and, after the break, created several goal-scoring opportunities, securing a deserved victory.
Capello examined the positives and negatives of the latest Azzurri performance.
“Starting with the negatives, I’d say the usual flaws we often see in Italian football. Sideway passing, slowness, little vertical play and a lack of personality when in possession,” he said.
“As for the positives, the reaction was important, and I also liked the introduction of Pio Esposito, who brought a certain balance. All three attacking options are good, but Retegui and Kean are a bit too similar. Pio, on the other hand, especially in key moments, has that strength and aerial ability that can become fundamental, along with excellent vision.”
Capello: ‘Italy have good defenders, but…’
The Azzurri will likely face a hostile environment, but Capello is more worried about what might happen on the pitch.
“I’m concerned about corner kicks and free kicks, particularly how we’ll defend inside the penalty area,” he said.
“We have very good defenders with the ball at their feet, but they are less suited to marking. Bosnia relies heavily on this, and just on Thursday night, Dzeko managed to get the better of players strong in the air, like those from Wales. We’ll be facing a national team with quality and personality, starting with that 18-year-old who took the last penalty, Alajbegovic.”
Surely, the ex-Italian tactician will follow the match with the same passion he had as a coach: “I suffer for the national team. I suffer too much…I scream,” he said. Just as an ordinary fan.