Italy, Switzerland eye World Cup ticket Friday, teams in tight race for Qatar 2022 ticket

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp and Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Italy will face Switzerland in a key 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying group match in Rome on Friday, shaping both teams' destiny on the road to Qatar.

Italy vs. Switzerland is one of the big matches in this week's World Cup qualifiers as both Azzurri and Nati have collected 14 points each to stay atop Group C.

They are in fierce competition for the top spot in this group as the winning team will automatically qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

However, the runners-up in the groups will face the playoff stage to fight for limited tickets for Qatar 2022.

Italy lead Group C on goal difference. Azzurri scored 12 goals but conceded one in six matches to have an 11-goal difference.
Meanwhile, Nati scored ten goals in this group. Similar to Italy, Switzerland conceded one goal.

Switzerland drew with Italy 0-0 in Basel on matchday five as Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer saved Jorginho's second-half penalty.

There will be two more games in this group that five teams play.

Italy will play against second-place Switzerland on Friday in Rome's Stadio Olimpico, and then the Italians will take on Northern Ireland in Belfast on Nov. 15 to finish the group phase.

On the same day, Switzerland will host Bulgaria in Lucerne.

Bulgaria racked up eight points in seven matches to come third, which means they have already been eliminated.

Northern Ireland have five points and Lithuania have three points in Group C.

Italy might be under pressure for the key Switzerland game as Roberto Mancini's men cannot afford another World Cup failure.

Switzerland has been one of the rising football nations since the 2000s as they regularly qualified for the last four World Cups.

In the 2006, 2014 and 2018 World Cups, Nati reached the last 16. But in South Africa 2010, Switzerland was eliminated in the group stage.

Four-time World Cup champions in 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006, Italy shocked the whole nation as they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The European football powerhouse were under fire for their previous fiasco, but Italy won the UEFA EURO 2020 in 2021 summer to please their fans.

That was a quite long-awaited major title for the Italians as Azzurri had won the 2006 World Cup in Germany before their EURO 2020 triumph in July.

Italy were crowned the winners of the EURO 2020 after defeating England on penalties in London.

- Italy may lack Immobile in Switzerland clash

The home team of Friday's showdown, Italy, will be without their forward Ciro Immobile, who left the national team camp Tuesday due to a muscle injury.

The Italian national team previously said in a statement that Immobile withdrew from the squad after medical tests had shown a pain affecting the soleus muscle, or calf, of the 31-year-old's left leg that dated back to the previous match in the Italian league.

Sassuolo forward Gianluca Scamacca was called for national duty to replace Lazio regular Immobile.

Immobile, who netted 161 goals to be the all-time top scorer for Lazio, has been prolific in the 2021-22 football season, scoring 11 goals in 15 appearances for his club.

This summer, he helped Italy win the EURO 2020 title.

- Turkey to play against underdogs Gibraltar

In Group G, Turkey will host underdogs Gibraltar in Istanbul's Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Saturday.

Third-place Turkey, who bagged 15 points in eight matches, should win the Gibraltar match first and then wait for Norway and the Netherlands' mistakes.

In this group, Turkey are competing against second-place Norway and the leader, the Netherlands, for the top spot.

Norway have 17 points to chase the Netherlands, who collected 19 in eight matches.

So the Netherlands are currently holding the aces for the group's top position.

Turkey regular in midfield Cengiz Under suffered from a hamstring injury in his right leg to be unavailable for the upcoming two games against Gibraltar and Montenegro.

Olympique Marseille winger Under, 24, scored five goals in 15 club appearances this season.

Visitors Gibraltar lost all their eight matches to bottom Group G.
After the Gibraltar game in Istanbul, Turkey will visit Montenegro in Podgorica on Nov. 16 to conclude the group stage.

Montenegro have 11 points to be fourth in this group.

Latvia and Gibraltar have already been eliminated.

In addition, Group G's matchday 10 will see a critical game between the Netherlands and Norway in Rotterdam's Feyenoord Stadium on Nov. 16, which may decide the winner of this group.

- World Cup qualifying fixtures

Thursday:

Group A:

Azerbaijan - Luxembourg

Ireland - Portugal

Group B:

Georgia - Sweden

Greece - Spain

Group H:

Russia - Greek Cypriot Administration

Malta - Croatia

Slovakia - Slovenia

Group J:

Armenia - North Macedonia

Germany - Liechtenstein

Romania - Iceland

Friday:

Group C:

Italy - Switzerland

Northern Ireland - Lithuania

Group F:

Moldova - Scotland

Austria - Israel

Denmark - Faroe Islands

Group I:

Andorra - Poland

England - Albania

Hungary - San Marino

Saturday:

Group D:

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Finland

France - Kazakhstan

Group E:

Belgium - Estonia

Wales - Belarus

Group G:

Norway - Latvia

Turkey - Gibraltar

Montenegro - Netherlands