Italy starting XI (3-5-2): Donnarumma, Mancini, Bastoni (subbed for Gatti), Calafiori, Politano (subbed for Palestra), Barella, Locatelli, Tonali (subbed for Pisilli), Dimarco, Kean (subbed for Raspadori), Retegui

Bench: Spinazzola, Buongiorno, Cristante, Frattesi, Scalvini, Meret

Goals: Tonali 56’, Kean 80’

Northern Ireland starting XI (3-4-2-1): P.Charles: McConville, McNair, Hume, Spencer (subbed for Reid), Galbraith, S.Charles, Devlin (subbed for Smyth), Price, Devenny, Donley (subbed for Magennis)

Bench: Peacock-Farrell, Toal, Atcheson, Saville, Marshall, Kelly, Hazard, Lyons, Brown

The Italians, managed by the inspirational Gennaro Gattuso, had to thank Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean for second-half goals.

The breakthrough arrived in the 56th minute when Tonali pounced on a cleared cross, letting the ball bounce once before firing a half-volley ‌into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Kean effectively ended the contest in the 80th minute, latching onto a Tonali pass and ghosting past his marker before dispatching a low strike into the net.

“I felt the whole country was on my shoulders,” Kean told Sky Sports about his goal.

“There is one more game to go, we need one more step, but we are feeling positive and need to keep going.”

The Azzurri will now play Bosnia and Herzegovina, who eliminated Wales via a penalty shootout.

AAP