At a Glance:
- Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in a World Cup qualification play-off semi-final on Thursday night.
- Riccardo Calafiori played 90 minutes in the game, on the left of a back three.
- Italian media provided a blunt assessment of the defender’s performance.
Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori played the full 90 minutes as Italy beat Northern Ireland on Thursday night in Bergamo to progress into the World Cup qualification play-off final.
The Italians strolled past the British side, courtesy of goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean. The Newcastle United midfielder – who has been heavily linked with a move to North London – pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the box and thumped home, past the outstretched Pierce Charles.
Kean then doubled Gennaro Gattuso’s side’s advantage, finishing nicely following more impressive work from Tonali. The result sets up a World Cup qualification showdown between Calafiori’s team and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who beat Wales in Cardiff, on Tuesday night.
- READ MORE: Swedish media compare Viktor Gyokeres to legendary striker after Arsenal star’s heroic hat-trick
Italian media reacts to Riccardo Calafiori’s performance vs Northern Ireland
Deployed on the left of a back three, alongside Roma’s Gianluca Mancini and Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni, Calafiori produced a relatively assured display. The 23-year-old was comfortable in possession, while he kept Crystal Palace’s attacking midfielder Justin Devenny, who was operating on the right for Northern Ireland, quiet on the night.
Despite having minimal problems defensively, Italy’s media weren’t particularly fond of Calafiori’s contributions to the victory. In fact, Il Giornale were somewhat critical of the left-back, handing him a 6/10 in their player ratings and lamenting his general lack of involvement.
📷! Riccardo Calafiori with the Italy national team 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/Q6QkjfjjrH
— Arsenal Radar (@ArsenalRadar) March 23, 2026
“Not very busy in the defensive phase, he does not participate much in the offensive phase,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, Quotidiano Sport were also slightly scathing of the Arsenal man’s offensive efforts.
“He gives little away in the offensive phase, and perhaps that’s why it’s difficult to break through on that side. He makes his presence felt in the closing stages,” the publication declared.
That said, Calcio Mercato provided a slightly more optimistic outlook on Calafiori’s performance, awarding him with a 6.5/10.
“From a left-handed arm with its characteristics, an international breath test is needed.
“A bit timid in the first 45 minutes, he released his charisma in the second half by providing overlapping solutions on the left and well defending Northern Irish attacks in the rearguard.”
Riccardo Calafiori’s statistics vs Northern Ireland
Calafiori has suffered from persistent injury issues over the last couple of months, so just having him on the pitch will be considered positive for both Arsenal and Italy. While the Italian media reaction may not have been particularly complimentary, Arteta might have a different perception of Calafiori’s display if he takes a look at the data.
| Riccardo Calafiori’s statistics vs Northern Ireland | |
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Touches | 85 |
| Passes into Final Third | 5 |
| Shots | 2 |
| Accurate Passes | 55/68 (81%) |
| Ground Duels Won | 3/3 (100%) |
| Touches in Opposition Box | 3 |
As shown by the statistics above, Calafiori was actually very involved for Italy. In possession, he managed 85 touches, conducting Gattuso’s outfit’s build-up from deep areas.
Additionally, despite being deployed ostensibly as a centre-back, he added real value to Italy’s attack, marauding forward throughout. Playing five passes into the final third, taking two shots and managing three touches in Northern Ireland’s box, he was a constant threat from the back.
