Italy Secure Win in Estonia, But Playoff Path Remains the Focus
Tallinn, Estonia - Italy defeated Estonia 3-1 on Friday, a result that, while securing a victory, underscores the team’s likely route to the World Cup will be thru the playoffs. The win was tempered by an injury to forward Moise Kean and a rare error from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Kean opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a right-footed shot after a through ball from Federico Dimarco, but suffered a sprained right ankle just three minutes later, forcing him off the pitch after a brief return to play. Shortly after, in the 20th minute, Italy extended their lead through Pio Esposito, who scored his first goal for the Azzurri with a powerful right-footed shot assisted by Leonardo Spinazzola.
However, italy conceded for the third consecutive away game in World Cup/European Championship qualifying when Donnarumma allowed a harmless cross from Soomets to slip through his gloves, leading to a goal for Estonia’s Sappinen.
Italy regained their two-goal advantage before halftime with a goal from Mateo Retegui, assisted by Andrea Orsolini following another Dimarco contribution – a headed flick-on from Saliste. Retegui had previously been denied a goal from the penalty spot, his attempt hitting the post after earning the penalty himself. Further goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Spinazzola completed the scoring.
Despite the win, Italy’s focus remains on securing second place in the group, which guarantees a playoff spot in March. With Norway’s strong position in the group, Italy must now defeat Israel on Tuesday in Udine, were a draw may be sufficient, given Bastoni’s suspension.
“The important thing is to create – then you can miss goals and penalties,” stated Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso after the match. “The kids have the desire, they are on the right path. We need to recover quickly, but if we beat Israel they will go out of business, with a view to the playoffs.We have a mission: we must grow, work well and have more conviction. But in this spirit I am very happy.”
The upcoming match against Norway on November 16th, while not impacting playoff qualification due to Norway’s significant goal difference (+19), will serve as a valuable test for the team.
