Italy Begin New Era Under Gattuso with Commanding 5-0 Victory Over Estonia

A Perfect Start for Gattuso’s Italy

Italy celebrated Gennaro Gattuso’s first match as head coach with a commanding 5-0 victory over Estonia in their World Cup qualifier. The floodgates opened after Moise Kean broke the deadlock in the 58th minute, followed by two goals from Mateo Retegui, while Giacomo Raspadori and Alessandro Bastoni added to the scoreline.

The Road to Recovery

The victory comes at a crucial time for Italy, who still have work to do in Group I after losing their opening qualifier to Norway 3-0 – a defeat that led to Luciano Spalletti’s departure. The Azzurri will face Israel next in Debrecen, Hungary, on Monday, as they aim to overtake Norway in the race for automatic qualification for next summer’s finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Tactical Transformation

Gattuso implemented a new 4-2-3-1 formation for the match, with a strong lineup including Mateo Retegui, Moise Kean, Sandro Tonali, and Riccardo Calafiori. The team’s starting eleven featured Donnarumma in goal, with Di Lorenzo, Calafiori, Bastoni, and Dimarco in defense, while Barella and Tonali controlled the midfield, supported by Politano, Kean, and Zaccagni in attack, with Retegui leading the line.

Statistical Dominance

The match statistics reflected Italy’s superiority, with the hosts maintaining 70.2% possession and recording 13 shots on goal compared to Estonia’s 2. The Azzurri’s attacking prowess was evident in their 40 shot attempts and 12 corner kicks.

Looking Ahead

The result continues Italy’s perfect record against Estonia, having won all seven previous meetings and scoring 20 goals while conceding only two. The task was made easier by Estonia’s recent form, as they have managed just two victories in their last 29 European qualifiers, defeating only Moldova and Belarus since October 2017.