Italy boss Giampiero Ventura has described his side's 1-0 defeat to Sweden in the World Cup qualifying playoffs as "harsh".

The Azzurri lost the first leg of the tie to a deflected Jakob Johansson strike in the second half, and the former Torino coach has urged his players to raise their game for the return fixture in Milan.

"We just need to get a result now. We need to overturn it all in Milan. San Siro has to take us by the hand and we must put in a great performance for the crowd," Ventura told reporters.

"Considering what happened on the pitch, the result was harsh. I hope that in Milan we get given what they were given tonight. In such an important match, a different approach was needed."

Italy will play host to Sweden for the second leg on November 13.

Written by
Mark Langshaw