Italy beat Northern Ireland to keep World Cup hopes alive

Italy’s bid to end a 12-year World Cup absence will continue after beating Northern Ireland 2-0 on Thursday to reach the play-off final.
Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean scored the second-half goals which decided a tight game in Bergamo to book Italy a showdown away from home with either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Tonali’s rocket of a strike in the 56th minute and Kean’s excellent finish 10 minutes from the end were two rare moments of quality from a match which had huge significance for four-time world champions Italy.
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso called Thursday’s fixture the biggest match of his coaching career and the tension was palpable both in the stands and on th...