Locatelli Comments on Italy's Defeat

Italian national team midfielder Manuel Locatelli shared his thoughts with journalists following the 1-4 defeat against Norway. The Italian team had to secure a 9-0 victory to earn a direct qualification spot for the World Cup.

However, the team not only failed to achieve this result but also could not manage to hold a draw. The opponents decided the game in their favor during the second half, scoring four goals in the last half-hour.

The only goal for the "Squadra Azzurra" was scored by Francesco Pio Esposito in the 11th minute. "The key turning point was the summer defeat in Oslo.

But today, we needed to showcase a much better performance. We played very poorly in the second half – this must not happen again in the future.

We must thoroughly analyze our mistakes. At times, there was a lack of unity among us.

I hope that in March, we will enter the play-off games with a completely different spirit," Football Italia quotes Locatelli as saying. The semi-finals of the play-offs for the 2026 World Cup are scheduled for March 26, while the final will take place on March 31.

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