576: 11 October 2011

575 vs Estonia - 576 - 577 vs Norway

Tuesday, 11 October 2011. KO: 20:45 local (19:45 BST)

Euro 2012 Qualification Group C

ITALY (ITA) 3 - 0 NORTHERN IRELAND (NIR) (H/T 1-0)

Venue: Stadio Adriatico, Pescar
Attendance: 19,480
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)
Assistant Referees: Javier Aguilar Rodriguez (ESP), Victoriano Diaz Casado (ESP)
Fourth Official: Carlos Clos Gómez (ESP)
Goalscorers: ITA: Cassano (21, 53), McAuley (74 og)

NORTHERN IRELAND: 4-5-1 (white shirts, green shorts, white socks)
Manager: Nigel Worthington
Captain: Maik Taylor
Taylor; Hodson, McGivern, McAuley, Norwood [73 McLaughlin], Baird, Little, Davis, Healy [65 Feeney], C. Evans, Gorman [77 McGinn].
Unused Substitutes: Mannus, McCourt.

ITALY: (blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks)
Manager: Cesare Prandelli
Captain: Gianluigi Buffon
Buffon [76 De Sanctis]; Cassani, Barzagli, Chiellini, Balzaretti, Montolivo, De Rossi, Pirlo, Aquilani [68 Nocerino], Giovinco, Cassano [56 Osvaldo].Unused Substitutes: Maggio, Cigarini, Astori, Rossi

PRE-MATCH:
Northern Ireland Squad:
BBC

Goalkeepers: Maik Taylor (unattached), Lee Camp# (Nottingham Forest), Alan Mannus (St Johnstone)
Defenders: Jonathan Evans# (Manchester United), Ryan McGivern (Manchester City - on loan at Crystal Palace), Craig Cathcart (Blackpool), Gareth McAuley (West Bromwich Albion), Aaron Hughes# (Fulham), Lee Hodson (Watford), Conor McLaughlin* (Preston North End)
 Midfielders: Chris Baird (Fulham), Grant McCann# (Peterborough United), Niall McGinn (Celtic - on loan at Brentford), Jonny Gorman (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Corry Evans (Hull City), Steven Davis (Rangers), Sammy Clingan# (Coventry City), Pat McCourt (Celtic), Chris Brunt# (West Bromwich Albion), Oliver Norwood * (Manchester United - on loan at Scunthorpe United)
Forwards: Warren Feeney (Plymouth Argyle), David Healy (Rangers), Jamie Ward# (Derby County), Kyle Lafferty (Rangers), Josh McQuoid# (Millwall), Andrew Little* (Rangers - on loan at Port Vale)

# Player withdrawn through injury/illness.
_ Player suspended.
* Late call-up.

Italy Squad:
Yahoo
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St Germain)
Defenders: Davide Astori (Cagliari), Federico Balzaretti (Palermo), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Mattia Cassani (Fiorentina), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Zenit St Petersburg), Christian Maggio (Napoli)
Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (AC Milan), Luca Cigarini (Atalanta), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Antonio Nocerino (AC Milan), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)
Forwards: Mario Balotelli (Manchester City), Antonio Cassano (AC Milan), Sebastian Giovinco (Parma), Giampaolo Pazzini (Inter), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal)

Match Reports:
BBC
UEFA

Match Photos:

Notes:

• Nigel Worthington announced that this would be his final match in charge of Northern Ireland the day before this game.
• Due to injuries and suspension Northern Ireland only had five substitutes on the bench out of a possible seven. The latest withdrawal was Craig Cathcart who was injured on the day of the match.