Tonali: ‘It would mean a lot for Italy to beat Norway’ after 3-0 wound

Sandro Tonali confessed ‘it would mean a lot’ for Italy to beat Norway on Sunday, even if they can’t secure direct World Cup qualification, and is ‘emotional’ about his AC Milan return.

The Azzurri knew before taking to the field in Moldova that the result was largely futile, as Norway had beaten Estonia 4-1 and with a far superior goal difference were going to top the group.

Perhaps this affected the attitude of the Italy players, who lost enthusiasm as the game wore on with wasted early chances.

It wasn’t until the 88th minute that Gianluca Mancini’s diving header found the breakthrough, followed by Francesco Pio Esposito nodding in during stoppages for the 2-0 result.

“It wasn’t easy, but this is modern football. We also knew that Norway had won, so it was a bit of a strange atmosphere,” Tonali told Sky Sport Italia.

“There were a lot of changes too and that made it rather difficult to concentrate fully, but we got the three points and that’s what we needed right now, to keep winning. We played a little less well than before, but we have to look at the big picture and the overall progress.

“It’s easy to judge from the outside, but you have to experience it and know that at the end of the day the result counted for us more than for World Cup qualification.”

It might be impossible to overturn the goal difference and take top spot, but Italy would still relish beating Norway on Sunday and finishing level on points, having been humiliated 3-0 back in June under previous coach Luciano Spalletti.

“It would mean a lot to us, because it might not heal the wound, but it will help us push forward and end this group on a high. We reacted after Oslo, a game where we had huge problems, so we faced down all the waves of attacks that came our way,” confirmed Tonali.

“This is football, it’s joy when you win and horrible when you lose, so you’ve got to take the blows when you deserve them.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Moldova 0-2 Italy

Gennaro Gattuso already said that Tonali will not be risked against Norway on Sunday at San Siro, because he is one yellow card away from suspension, and they cannot risk losing him for the play-off semi-final.

On top of that, it will also see the former AC Milan midfielder return to the Milanello training ground, where Italy are going to prepare for the match.

“It is emotional, the last time was almost three years ago. It is a place that is in my heart and every time I go back to Milan will be emotional for me. It’s not the first time, but will always feel like the second, it’s always going to be wonderful,” smiled the Newcastle star.