After two victories full of panache, Gattuso's Italy arrives in Tallinn with only one idea in mind: to definitively relaunch their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup. Second in Group I behind Norway, the Squadra Azzurra no longer has the right to make mistakes. Easily victorious 5-0 over Estonia in the first leg, they know that a new success this Saturday would allow them to calmly approach the clash against Israel the following week.
Italy wants to confirm, Estonia avoids humiliation
Since the arrival of Gattuso, Italy has shown an offensive but unstable face. The spectacular 5-4 against Israel confirmed the attacking qualities (Kean-Retegui in the lead) but also the defensive flaws. The former Napoli coach assumes: “We concede ridiculous goals.” Faced with an Estonia without a victory for four matches, the mission seems within reach. But the electric atmosphere around the coach (especially after his verbal altercation with Donnarumma) puts heavy pressure on the group.
On the Estonian side, morale is at its lowest. Last in their group, the Baltics have only scored one goal in their last three matches and remain in a lackluster performance against Andorra. The return of captain Karol Mets is good news, but it will take a lot more to hope to compete. The attack rests on the young Marten-Chris Paalberg, 16 years old, while the suspension of Henri Anier further weakens a limited team.
Unbalanced duel… but not without stakes
With a series of seven victories in seven confrontations against Estonia, Italy is the clear favorite. Gattuso could nevertheless experiment with a three-defender scheme to compensate for the shortcomings of his back line. The objective is clear: assert yourself with authority to stay in the race for direct qualification. In a sold-out Tallinn stadium, the Estonians will at least have the pride to try to delay the deadline.
| 🗓️ Practical information: Estonia vs Italy | |
|---|---|
| 📅 Date | Saturday October 11, 2025 |
| 🕗 Time | 8:45 p.m. (French time) |
| 🏟️ Stadium | Le Coq Arena (Tallinn) |
| 📺 Broadcaster in France | The Team Channel |
| 💻 Streaming in France | The Live Foot Team (subscribers only) |
| 🏆 Competition | 2026 World Cup Qualifiers – Europe Zone (Group I) |
The probable eleven for the Estonia – Italy match
Estonia: Huh; Schjonning-Larsen, Kuusk, Paskotsi, Saliste; Shein, Palumets; Yakovlev, Kait, Sinyavskiy; Sappinen
Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Spinazzola, Barella, Tonali, Raspadori; Kean, Retegui.
| 🌍 Where to watch the match around the world | |
|---|---|
| 🇫🇷France | The Channel The Team, The Live Football Team |
| 🌍MENA | BeIN Sports MENA 4, BeIN Connect, TOD |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | Rai 1 |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | Sports TV 3 |
| 🇧🇦 Balkans | Arena Premium 2 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | DAZN |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | Polsat Sport Premium 2 |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | Digi Sport 3 |
