Right, time to try and get some sleep ahead of the big one.

We'll be back tomorrow afternoon with all the build-up ahead of Italy v Northern Ireland.

You can watch the game live on BBC One NI, BBC Three, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website from 7pm too.

We have loads of build-up on the website right here on our dedicated page for the NI men's team.

Look forward to seeing you then!

While we're been on air, Gavin Andrews has been catching up with NI manager Michael O'Neill.

Here's what he's had to say...

Former NI player Dallas on Michael O'Neill managing both Northern Ireland and Blackburn Rovers:

"Going forward long term can it work? Probably not. Michael will know that, that it's not possible to do both jobs. But for me I don't think it affects anything here.

"He physically couldn't do anything with the players until they met up on Sunday. From a Northern Ireland point of view it doesn't make any difference to me. It probably affects Blackburn more, with him not being on the training pitch these 10 days or so.

The Green and White Army are out in force in Bergamo and Faith Harper caught up with a few of them!

Former Italy striker Zola on the pressure the Italian manager and team are under:

"It would be very bad for our football generation if we skip this World Cup as well. There is a lot of pressure on the manager, but also on the players.

"We know the importance of the game tomorrow."

Former NI player Dallas:

"This is something we can use to our advantage, frustrate them. We've all been in situations where you're expected to win and you get frustrated and the crowd gets under pressure.

Former NI defender Craigan:

"I think you have that nervousness. I think this Italy team are probably carrying the weight of missing those last two World Cups. There's probably even more expectation on them. Some of their players played against North Macedonia four years ago and lost out late in the game"

Former Italy striker Gianfranco Zola:

"He's a manager that has a lot of personality. He gets the most out of teams. He gets them playing, in my opinion, good football.

"He asks his team to play with a lot of intensity, just as he was as a player.

"I think he is a good coach and I think he came in at a moment when we needed something like that."

Former NI international Stuart Dallas:

"When you lose any one of your starting team it's a big blow, but especially Daniel Ballard. He's obviously Premier League quality. We're not blessed with having a lot of players in the Premier League so when you lose somebody like that it's a huge loss. Not just defensively but also going forward, set-pieces, as he is a big threat i n the opposition box.

"We might have to rely on a set-piece tomorrow night to get something so he is a huge miss. We're thinking [Ruairi] McConville might come in for him so he offers us a threat as well. But certainly losing Daniel is a big blow."

Former NI international Stephen Craigan:

"We have two options I think which are Terry Devlin or Brodie Spencer. It's how Michael finds that balance.

I suppose it depends who is fit as there have been a few doubts around the squad.

If it was me I would choose Terry Devlin. It's impossible to replace like with like but I think as a midfielder playing as wing-back he's potentially better on the ball.

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI in Bergamo

La Gazzetta dello Sport ran an interview this morning from Marcello Lippi, who won the World Cup as manager in 2006.

He was very complimentary of Gennaro Gattuso, who played a key role in that midfield, and said he felt they were comparible as managers.

When it was put to Gattuso in his pre-match press conference, he said he had read the article and it had "brought a tear to my eye".

"I know what we went through together, but I'd like to thank him because it really did bring a tear to my eye, what he said about me," he said.

Pride will play a key role, and Italy will be aiming to use the emotion of the occassion to their advantage.

But if it, and the pressure, becomes too much then it could play into Northern Ireland's hands.

Image source, BBC Sport

Former Italy and Chelsea forward Gianfranco Zola on why the game is in Bergamo:

"I think it's something that Gattuso wanted. He believes that in here they can play in the right atmosphere. In Milan they can get a bigger crowd, but the crowd might be divided."

Former NI international Stuart Dallas: "I think it plays into Northern Ireland's hands and I agree with Michael O'Neill. It will suit Northern Ireland here rather than a hostile environment like the San Siro."

As you can see on the show, Stephen caught up with Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill before the team arrived in Italy.

The boss says it has "been a long wait" for the "massive challenge" of taking on Italy in the World Cup play-off semi-final.

You can watch the full interview on YouTube here, external.

Hit the play button above to watch along right now and don't forget to 'Get Involved' and send us your predictions for the game!

One for the photo album, if people still have photo albums... I'm not sure to be honest... it's all camera phones and Instagram these days isn't it?!

But a lovely picture of the crew in Bergamo... I wonder if that cake got eaten...

Image source, BBC Sport

Former Northern Ireland player Stuart Dallas says the World Cup play-off semi-final against Italy represents "a huge chance for the players to write their names in the history books".

The ex-Leeds United star acknowledges that Michael O'Neill's side has been handed "the toughest possible draw" but advancing to a play-off final, and then potentially defeating Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina away "would be something very, very special".

You can read more of what Dallas has to say about the big game in Bergamo here in his column for BBC Sport NI.

Image source, Getty Images

We've hit a couple of gremlins in Bergamo so the show we now be on at 7:30pm but not to worry - we have PLENTY of build-up material here to keep you going until the preview show starts!

Image source, BBC Sport

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI in Bergamo

Image source, BBC Sport

If you are a fan of Italian football, qualifying for the World Cup might have felt like you have been stuck of a merry-go-round of nightmarish proportions.

It's staggering that Italy haven't been at a World Cup since 2014, and the pressure is on to make sure the four-time winners do not falter for the third campaign in a row.

It is even more remarkable given they won the delayed Euros in 2021.

They will be favourites to progress against Northern Ireland but the same could be said against Sweden and North Macedonia in the previous two campaigns.

Could lightning strike for a third time?

Gianfranco Zola spent the first decade of his career playing in Italy with Napoli and Parma, winning the Serie A title with the former and the Italian Super Cup and the Uefa Cup with the latter.

He later moved to Chelsea and help the London side to trophy successes in the form of the Uefa Cup Winners' Cup, the Uefa Super Cup, two FA Cups, the League Cup and the Community Shield.

In 2003 he was voted the greatest Chelsea player ever.

At international level, Zola was capped 35 times by Italy and was part of the squad which competed at the 1994 World Cup, when they finished runners-up, and Euro 1996.

Image source, BBC Sport

Former Northern Ireland centre-back Stephen Craigan spent his entire club playing career in Scotland, turning out for Motherwell and Partick Thistle.

The defender was capped 54 times and played in the memorable 1-0 victory over England at Windsor Park in September 2005, and also the 3-2 win over Spain at the same venue 12 months later.

He captained his country on their end of season tour in 2010 against Turkey and Chile and continued as skipper against Montenegro in August of the same year.

Image source, BBC Sport

Stuart Dallas was a versatile player who could play at full-back, in midfield or at wing-back.

At club level, he was a key part of the Leeds United side which won the Championship in 2019-20, earning the Yorkshire club promotion to the Premier League. He made a total of 248 appearances for Leeds, scoring 25 goals

He made his Northern Ireland debut in 2011 and won 62 caps, scoring five goals. He was a member of Michael O'Neil's squad at the Euro 2016 finals in France.

Dallas retired from football on 10 April 2024 after a two-year battle with a knee injury suffered in April 2022 in a match against Manchester City.

Image source, BBC Sport