IF I’d known that Roberto Beccantini was in the Croke Park press box for Ireland’s 2-2 draw with Italy, I’d have asked him to help me fill in my Lotto numbers.

ITALY have made it, and with a match to spare, just as they did when they won the World Cup in 1982 and 2006, as Marcello Lippi was keen to point out.

BARELY four minutes into Wednesday night’s game between Italy and Bulgaria the Turin crowd was already aware that something had changed.