It won’t be a walk in the park, and last month’s match in Bergamo shouldn’t be taken as a benchmark. Gennaro Gattuso made that clear during the week and reiterated it from the press room at the Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, where the Azzurri inspected the pitch just minutes ago. At 20:45 CEST tomorrow evening, they face Estonia as they continue their push for World Cup qualification. “It will be a tough and important match,” warned the Head Coach in his press conference. “There’s a lot at stake. We mustn’t give much thought to the game in Bergamo; we have to earn our points and not assume we’ll end up in play-offs. We still have to get there, and yet some seem to think it’s already done. Let’s not kid ourselves – there’s still a lot to do.”

On 9 June, Norway only narrowly won in Tallinn thanks to a goal from Haaland, and they nearly let Jürgen Henn’s side snatch a late equaliser. It’s all the more reason not to take tomorrow’s fixture lightly. “In 2010, under Prandelli, Italy only won 2-1 here,” recalled Gattuso. It was a hard-fought game. Estonia have the quality to break into our half and are dangerous from set-pieces. They want to play and know what they need to do. Humility and respect for our opponents will be needed. We must make very few mistakes, both mentally and in our approach.” The Head Coach is pleased with what he has seen in recent days at Coverciano: “I have to thank these lads: they work hard, push themselves and get along well. There’s real determination and intensity, and an atmosphere I really like. I’m very happy. We want to play in the opposition half, but we also need to be able to sense danger.”

Compared to the match in Bergamo, the injured Zaccagni and Politano will be unavailable. Spinazzola and Raspadori could take their places, but there are plenty of alternatives, from Orsolini to Cambiaghi. “Spina has real quality. He prefers to play on the left, but he knows that he needs to help us right now. Raspadori can contribute in both attack and defence, and Cambiaghi is ready as well.”

CALAFIORI. Of the 27 Azzurri called up by Gattuso for this October window, six play in the Premier League, a league long considered the most demanding in terms of pace and intensity. Among them is Riccardo Calafiori, who, in his second season in England, is becoming an increasingly important figure for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. His rapid progress is, naturally, a positive for Italy as well. “I think I’m in a good moment and can help the National Team,” he said to the press. Before the Azzurri take to the pitch tomorrow, Norway will host Israel in Oslo with the aim of continuing their perfect start to the group. If they fail to win, the race for top spot could reopen. “We have to stay focused on our own game and aim to win,” the 23-year-old continued. “After that, we can do the calculations.” Calafiori also spoke about his rapport with Gattuso: “There’s a new atmosphere here. Even before it started, the coach told me he wanted to create a great group where everyone feels happy and comes here full of desire. I think that’s been clear on the pitch.

 

CALENDAR AND GROUP I STANDINGS

11 October, 18:00 CEST – Norway vs. Israel (Oslo)

11 October, 20.45 CEST – Estonia vs. ITALY (Tallinn)

14 October, 18:00 CEST – Estonia vs. Moldova (Tallinn)

14 October, 20:45 CEST – ITALY vs. Israel (Udine)

13 November, 18:00 CET – Norway vs. Estonia (Oslo)

13 November, 20:45 CET – Moldova vs. ITALY (Chisinau)

16 November, 20:45 CET – Israel vs. Moldova (Debrecen)

16 November, 20:45 CET – ITALY vs. Norway (Milan)

Standings: Norway 15 points (5 matches played), ITALY 9 (4), Israel 9 (5), Estonia 3 (5), Moldova 0 (5)