A dramatic World Cup Qualifying fixture saw Italy and Switzerland fight to a 1-1 draw in Rome. It was the fifth time in six matches that the two rivals have split points.
The two countries entered the matchup tied on 14 points in Group C with two games remaining. Italy dominated possession for much of the match, but Switzerland created its chances with frequent dangerous counter attacks. In particular, the Rossocrociati were able to exploit Italy’s right flank against Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Jorginho.
Italy
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6
With Italy owning possession for much of the match, Donnarumma was rarely challenged. He had no chance to stop Switzerland’s early goal and played a solid game.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 5
Surprisingly starting over Davide Calabria at right back, Di Lorenzo had a poor match. With Switzerland’s rotating attack, he was tasked with defending Shaqiri and Ruben Vargas. The Napoli player was awful in defense, but he did add a goal from a set piece.
Leonardo Bonucci – 7
The veteran had a rough start with an early turnover, but, as the match progressed, he found his form. After Noah Okafor’s impressive opening assist, the Juventus man shut down the striker.
Francesco Acerbi – 6.5
Acerbi was largely at fault for Switerzland’s first half goal. Okafor easily exposed the centre-back with his pace, and the Lazio defender allowed him too much space in the box. However, like his partner Bonucci, his form improved as the time went on.
Emerson – 8
The defender played the wide role on the Italian right wing and frequently contributed to the attack. He carried the ball progressively and was one of Italy’s most dangerous attackers.
Manuel Locatelli – 5
Continuing his unimpressive run of form, Locatelli failed to influence the match. The 23-year-old was active defensively, winning a few tackles, but he failed to provide high level distribution.
Nicolo Barella – 5
Amidst the deep-lying presences of Locatelli and Jorginho, Barella was supposed to play the role of the creative midfielder. However, he was unable to overcome the physical presence of Denis Zakaria and Remo Freuler, and the Swiss largely nullified him.
Jorginho – 4
Jorginho continued his tradition of poor play against Switzerland, again missing a potential game-winning penalty. The midfielder helped facilitate play with short passes, but he was mostly ineffectual.
Federico Chiesa – 6
Chiesa was quiet in the first half, putting in the work, but struggling to create prime scoring opportunities. In the second 45, he was much more dangerous while playing the number nine role after Belotti was taken off.
Andrea Belotti – 5
Belotti was a ghost throughout the match, struggling to connect with the midfield. The Swiss backline overwhelmed him physically, and he was taken off with over 30 minutes left.
Lorenzo Insigne – 6.5
The forward was not at his best, but he still turned in a decent performance. He provided a great free kick assist to help the Azzurri equalize in the first half.
Substitutes
Domenico Berardi – 7
Berardi injected needed pace into the lineup on the right wing. His creativity won a late penalty for Italy, but it was not converted.
Sandro Tonali – 7
After coming on for Locatelli, Tonali provided the attacking spark that the Italian midfield desperately needed. He provided deep support and ventured forward, creating several chances for the Azzurri.
Bryan Cristante – N/A
Davide Calabria – N/A
Giacomo Raspadori – N/A
89': VAR awards a penalty for Italy
90': Jorginho skies the game-winning penalty against Switzerland— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 12, 2021
Switzerland
Yann Sommer – 7.5
Sommer returned to his brilliant form from the previous clash with Italy, making a number of difficult saves.
Fabian Schar – 6
Schar had a decent game along with the rest of the Switzerland backline. His positioning was solid, though he did struggle when distributing from the back.
Manuel Akanji – 7
Akanji’s physicality was a huge factor in Switzerland not allowing a goal from open play. He won several challenges and ensured that the backline was compact and allowed little space to the opposing forwards.
Riccardo Rodriguez – 8
The Torino man was strong in defense and helped facilitate the Swiss takeover of the left wing. He made several big tackles and was one of the best players on the field.
Silvan Widmer – 7
Despite facing Insigne on the wing, Widmer was not often challenged, staying compact defensively. He scored a fantastic one-touch goal from inside the box to open the scoring.
Remo Freuler – 8
The Atalanta midfielder was excellent, helping protect the backline and squeeze the Italian offense. His defensive support was crucial to the Swiss strategy of isolating the opposing forwards from the midfield.
Denis Zakaria – 7
Zakaria had an inconsistent match. He provided defensive cover alongside Freuler but also committed a number of needless fouls. The defensive midfielder also did not give his typical offensive support.
Renato Steffen – 6.5
Steffen was solid on the right wing, often drifting into the midfield and playing a functional role. He helped link passes in the final third alongside Shaqiri.
Xherdon Shaqiri – 7.5
Shaqiri lived up to his reputation, pulling the strings for the Swiss offense. His passing was critical in the final third, creating the opening goal for the visitors. Even without his longtime partner Xhaka, the midfielder was dominant.
Ruben Vargas – 8
As Switzerland looked to play down the left wing, Vargas combined well with his teammates and overwhelmed Di Lorenzo. The midfielder was creative in the attack and sparked a number of chances, particularly when counter-attacking.
Noah Okafor – 6.5
The RB Salzburg forward received his second cap and quickly impacted proceedings. Okafor’s pace was deadly against the centre-back duo of Bonucci and Acerbi, and the 21-year-old assisted Widmer’s opening goal.
Substitutes
Ulisses Garcia – 4
Garcia replaced Rodriguez on the backline with disastrous results. The left back committed a late foul on Berardi in the box, nearly losing the match for his side.
Kastriot Imeri – 4.5
Imeri replaced Vargas on the wing with over 20 minutes left, but managed just three touches.
Djibril Sow – N/A
Fabian Frei – N/A
Andi Zeqiri – N/A