Player Ratings: Italy 1-4 Norway – Only two save face as defenders sink

MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 16: Davide Frattesi of Italy runs with the ball whilst under pressure from from Erling Haaland of Norway during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Norway at San Siro Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Only two Italy players saved face in a 4-1 loss against Norway in the World Cup qualifiers.

Donnarumma 5.5 – Not really at fault for any of the four goals, but not always confident when claiming the ball from Norway’s crosses.

Di Lorenzo 4.5 – Stuck in no man’s land in midfield. Too defensive to attack and too attacking to defend. A hybrid position that didn’t help the team.

Mancini 4.5 – Some tough clashes with Haaland. Won most of the ground duels, but was weak in the air. Strand Larsen dribbled past him to score the fourth goal for Norway.

Bastoni 4 – He was too irritable in the second half. Unsurprisingly, he was booked. Gave away the ball in the build-up to Norway’s third goal. A poor defensive performance despite his many touches. (86′ Buongiorno N/A).

Politano 5.5 – Pros: interesting cross-field passes. One even inspired Italy’s goal. Cons: Too weak defensively. He ran a lot, but naturally struggled when forced to defend in the final third.

Barella 5.5 –  Simple, accurate passes, but only won one duel. Subbed off before he received a second yellow card. (86′ Ricci N/A).

Locatelli 5 – He made more touches than any other Italy player. The problem is that the ball just moved too slowly. (79′ Scamacca N/A).

Frattesi 4 – His trademark late runs inside the box were nowhere to be seen. The Inter midfielder only made 15 touches in nearly 70 minutes (via Sofascore) and was too sloppy defensively (68′ Cristante 5).

Dimarco 6 – Provided the assist for Retegui and had the best Italy chance in the second half.

Retegui 5 – Fought hard, especially in the opening 45 minutes, but didn’t have many chances to hurt Norway.

Esposito 6 – Second goal in two games. Third in his first five Italy appearances. Not more to add. (79′ Zaccagni N/A).

Coach: Gattuso 4.5 – Italy melted after the first difficulty, as he also admitted. The first half’s performance was really good, but perhaps it was due to Norway’s soft approach. When they started playing properly, Italy could not react, and it’s worrying to think about it before the playoffs.

Norway: Nyland 6; Ryerson 6.5, Ajer 6.5, Heggem 6.5, Moller Wolfe 6.5 (89′ Ostigard N/A); Thorstvedt 6 (75′ Aasgard N/A), Berge 6.5, Berg 6.5 (64′ Thorsby 7), Nusa 7.5; Sorloth 7 (76′ Bobb 7.5), Haaland 8 (89′ Strand Larsen 7). Coach: Solbakken 8.