Italy take on the visitors Estonia in a World Cup 2026 qualification match. The match will be played on Friday, September 5th at Gewiss Stadium (Bergamo).
Italy were the winners of the penultimate European Championship. Yet the ongoing crisis in Italian football is no secret — they have now missed two consecutive World Cups. Spalletti was not the savior, either: at last year’s Euro, Italy barely scraped into the knockout stage and were immediately eliminated by Switzerland without a fight. He was dismissed only after a crushing 0-3 defeat, and in June the team began a new qualifying cycle. What’s more, Gattuso was far from the first-choice successor, as both Pioli and Ranieri declined the role. On the other hand, it would be wrong to completely write off the Italians. After all, they managed to beat France in the Nations League and finished second in their Division A group, and in March they lost narrowly to Germany, 1-2 at home and 3-3 away. Yes, there are no true global stars, and even Donnarumma found himself clubless this summer, but the June 2-0 win over Moldova showed that the current squad is still capable of doing the job against outsiders. Italy have also lost just once in their last seven home matches, and their defensive record remains solid, with clean sheets in three of their last four wins. Gattuso’s fiery style could provide the spark needed to revive confidence in this transitional phase.
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Estonia are simply aiming not to finish bottom. The “Blueshirts” actually had a chance to play at Euro 2024. That opportunity came through their own weakness, as they entered the “Nations League path” reserved for the lowest-ranked teams — but were immediately thrashed 1-5 by Poland. Later in the autumn, they managed to stay in the stronger Division C, though only thanks to four points taken from Azerbaijan, who finished last as a result. Something similar seems to be unfolding in 2025. The Baltic side already defeated fellow minnows Moldova 3-2 away, but they lost twice to Israel and couldn’t stop Haaland at home, suffering a narrow 0-1 defeat to Norway. Estonia have now lost four of their last five competitive matches, and their defense has conceded at least two goals in each of those defeats. Despite occasional flashes in attack, their lack of squad depth makes it difficult to compete beyond the lowest tier.
The teams first met in 1993 and have since played seven matches. All of them ended the same way: the “Azzurri” defeated the underdogs. Gattuso will definitely want a strong start. A simple win will not be enough here — expect the hosts to claim victory with a -2.5 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Italy to win with -2.5 handicap.
