Jorginho missed a 90th-minute penalty as Italy drew Switzerland in their penultimate qualification game to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Elsewhere, England thrashed Albania 5-0 – with Harry Kane scoring a hattrick – to move to within a point of qualification.
The Azzurri find themselves in a difficult spot ahead of the final game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers. The European Champions top their group but are level on points with second-placed Switzerland – against whom they drew in the penultimate round of matches. Should the Swiss – who play Bulgaria next – better Italy’s result on matchday 10 of the competition, the four-time World Cup winners will drop down to the play-offs.
A win against Switzerland – at home – would have made things much easier for Italy, but the Azzurri fell behind through an early Silvan Widmer strike. Noah Okafor, released down the left, toyed with Giovanni Di Lorenzo before checking his run and rolling the ball into the path of Widmer. Arriving through the middle, the right-back unleashed a fierce strike from the edge of the box, nearly ripping the net behind Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Switzerland, with the lead after just 11 minutes, generated much of the game’s early opportunities but were unable to double their advantage. Italy, as a result, grew into the game and equalized in the 36th minute; Di Lorenzo scored with a header past Yann Sommer from an unorthodox set-piece routine.
With nothing to separate the two sides, Italy were awarded a penalty in the 90th minute of the match. However, Jorginho blasted the resulting spot-kick over the bar, keeping the scores level.
Elsewhere, England all but booked their berth for the World Cup by thrashing Albania 5-0. Harry Maguire opened the scoring in the ninth minute, heading in a Reece James cross from a set-piece from the center of the box.
Harry Kane doubled England’s lead nine minutes later with a header of his own from a Jordan Henderson cross. Liverpool midfielder then got in on the act himself, collecting the ball from Kane, jinking his way past the Albania defense, and scoring.
Kane grabbed two more before half-time to complete his hattrick – one from his left and one from his right. England, who face San Marino next, need just a point to qualify for the World Cup.
