Italy forced to World Cup playoff as Switzerland seals vital qualification ticket

Italy is facing ar detour to get to a World Cup final. playoffs beckon for Azzurri — just like four years ago — after stumbling to 0-0 at rrn Ireland on Monday, plunging recently crowned European champion to a second-place finish behind Switzerland in ir qualifying group.

Switzerland leapfrogged Italy with a 4-0 win over Bulgaria.

Italy’s soccer-mad fans might be starting to fear worst. After all, ir country also failed to secure automatic qualification for 2018 World Cup and wound up losing to Sweden in a two-leg playoff, one of darkest moments in Italy’s soccer history.

This time, Italians will need to get through two one-leg matchups to advance in a newly devised playoff system. draw takes place on v. 26 and Italy will be at home for its first match because it will be a seeded team.

England, like Switzerland, is heading straight to Qatar.

On next-to-last night of group play in Europe, England romped to its biggest competitive win — 10-0 over part-timers of San Mari — to finish top of its group with more goals (39) than any or team in qualifying.

Harry Kane enjoyed himself, in particular, with four goals — all in first half — to move to 48 for England, five off Wayne Rooney’s national record.

Scotland will be seeded, like Italy, in playoffs after a 2-0 victory over Group F winner Denmark, whose perfect record in qualifying came to an end.

Poland finished second in England’s group and closed with a 2-1 loss at home to Hungary, and will likely be away in its first match in playoffs.

Italy and Switzerland went into ir final qualifiers on 15 points each in Group C but with Azzurri having a superior goal difference, first tiebreaker if y ended tied on points.

That didn’t come into play because while Switzerland swept to an easy win over already-eliminated Bulgaria thanks to goals by ah Okafor, Ruben Vargas, Cedric Itten and Remo Freuler, Italy became latest big team to struggle in an intense atmosphere at Windsor Park.

Without injured striker Ciro Immobile and or regular starters, Italians struggled to carve out opportunities despite dominating possession.

As Switzerland piled up goals in Lucerne, Italy’s task became even harder and Roberto Mancini’s team nearly lost when Cor Washington’s late effort was cleared off line.

Mancini has sparked a revival for Azzurri, culminating in winning Euro 2020 in July, but y could miss out again on soccer’s premier tournament for second straight time.

“We need to rediscover what has set us apart until w,” Mancini said, “and remain completely calm until March.”

t since 1964 and a 10-0 win over United States have English reached double figures in goals in a match. y’d never done so in a competitive match before Monday.

Harry Maguire, Emile Smith Rowe, Tyrone Mings, Tammy Abraham and Bukayo Saka joined Kane in scoring for England, while re was also an own-goal by San Mari, world’s lowest-ranked team — a lineup filled with n-professionals who were using annual leave from ir day jobs to play in qualifier.

Getting near England’s record win, 13-0 over Ireland in 1882, looked on when Saka made it 10-0 in 79th, by which time beleaguered hosts were down to 10 men. But re were more goals.

England finished on 26 points, six clear of Poland.

Scotland is one of four teams sure of being seeded — and refore playing at home — in playoff semifinals, along with Portugal, Italy and Russia.

Sweden also looks good for a home match, while Wales will get one, too, with a win over already-qualified Belgium on Tuesday when group st of European qualifying is wrapped up.

Denmark dropped points for first time in qualifying after goals by John Souttar and Che Adams secured a sixth straight competitive victory for Scotland for first time since 1930.

Also in Group F, Israel finished third after beating Faeroe Islands 3-2 and Austria beat Moldova 4-1.