Italy Hosts Northern Ireland in World Cup Playoff

Italy faces a critical test in its bid to end a streak of World Cup absences when it hosts Northern Ireland in a playoff semifinal on Thursday in Bergamo. The four-time champions, who last lifted the trophy in 2006, must win two matches to secure a spot in the expanded 48-team tournament this summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico. A victory over Northern Ireland would pit them against the winner of Wales versus Bosnia and Herzegovina the following week.

The Azzurri's path to the playoffs stems from a turbulent qualifying campaign in Group I, where they finished second to Norway after suffering two defeats, including a 4-1 home loss. Early struggles led to the dismissal of manager Luciano Spalletti following a 3-0 opening defeat to Norway in June. Gennaro Gattuso, a former Italy midfielder who managed AC Milan and Napoli, took over and guided the team to five straight wins against Estonia, Israel and Moldova. Despite the upturn, the losses left Italy in the playoffs for the third straight cycle, a far cry from their golden era.

That 2006 triumph in Berlin, where Fabio Cannavaro captained the side to a penalty-shootout victory over France, marked Italy's fourth title and...