Gattuso: “We can’t afford to get it wrong”

PHOTO

A month after the 5-4 thriller in Debrecen, Italy and Israel will meet again tomorrow evening at the Stadio Friuli in Udine in a crucial match in Group I. A win would guarantee the Azzurri second place – enough to secure a play-off spot with two games to spare – but even a draw would more or less seal that position. At that point, Italy would only need to avoid defeat in at least one of their two November fixtures against Moldova and Norway to book their place in the March play-offs. However, caution is required: a defeat would change the picture entirely, forcing the National Team to pick up points in their final group match against Norway on 16 November in Milan.

“We know we can’t afford to get it wrong,” Gattuso said in the press room at the Friuli. “We can’t repeat the errors from a month ago. We still need to secure qualification for the play-offs. Tomorrow, we’ll have to be vigilant: Israel will be playing with everything on the line. They have quality, especially with their two wide forwards, and they can create situations of numerical superiority because they have players who are good at beating their marker. A month ago, we made conceptual mistakes: we didn’t press effectively and there were too many gaps. We need to improve in that area.”

ENFORCED CHANGES. In Tallinn, both Kean and Retegui scored, but Italy’s striking duo were only able to share the pitch for the first 15 minutes. After tests this morning, the Fiorentina forward has left camp due to a right ankle injury, ruling him out of the match against Israel. “The choice of the two forwards was dictated by the fact that we needed to score goals. Knowing this was the case, we looked at it and went with it,” Gattuso added. “My only concern was whether we could cope defensively. They’ve proven that they’re ready, not just Kean and Retegui but also Pio. I’m not just happy about the goals they’re scoring, but also about the work they’re putting in: they constantly chase our opponents, track back and cover the wide areas.”

Gennaro Gattuso in conferenza stampa allo stadio 'Friuli'

In Estonia, Pio Esposito more than held his own in Kean’s absence, scoring his first goal for the Azzurri in the second half and showing, at just 20, that he already has the maturity to play a leading role: “He’s a simple lad, not much of a talker, but he works incredibly hard – he runs like a midfielder,” Gattuso said. “On Saturday, he played 75 minutes, which he hadn’t done in months. We’ll need to make some assessments; with five substitutions, matches can be changed from the bench, too.” At least one more enforced change is expected in defence, with Bastoni suspended. Mancini is likely to take his place, and Italy may line up with three at the back. “We’ll do something different compared to the Estonia game. I’ve always said I don’t like playing with three at the back, but I put my ego aside. You have to put the players in the best possible conditions and respect your opponents.”

After thanking Spalletti for his kind words (“I wanted to call him. He’s a genuine person: if he said those things, it means he meant them”), the Head Coach emphasised how the team’s cohesion has been evident in the way his players have conducted themselves in recent hours. “Bastoni and Moise could have gone home yesterday, but they both chose to stay an extra day with the squad.”

LONG LIVE PEACE. The match against Israel, who are coming off a 5-0 defeat away to Norway, has long been surrounded by controversy unrelated to sport. The hope is that the peace agreement in the Gaza Strip will help create a calmer atmosphere tomorrow, even if the stadium will not be as full as on other occasions. More than 9,000 tickets have been issued for the match, and sales will remain open until 12:00 CEST tomorrow through Vivaticket outlets and the websites figc.vivaticket.it and vivaticket.com. “We’re happy to see that flow of people returning to Gaza and the release of the hostages. I hope it lasts forever, because there’s nothing worse than what we’ve seen over these past two years. Long live peace. Tomorrow, there will be people outside protesting, but we’ll have 10,000 inside the stadium, and it’ll be up to us to make them want to get behind us.”

Gianluca Mancini in azione nel match di Debrecen con Israele

OVER TO MANCINI. With Bastoni suspended, Gianluca Mancini is expected to return to the centre of defence. He was already in the starting line-up against Israel when the teams met on 9 September. In Debrecen, the Azzurri conceded four goals, letting their guard down late on and nearly allowing an unlikely comeback. Tomorrow will require a different level of focus. “We know it’s going to be a tough match,” the Roma defender warned in today’s press conference. “We saw a month ago that they’re a dangerous and well-prepared side, and their strongest area is their attack. The first meeting was a crazy game – we carelessly let them back into it. We know what we did wrong, and we’ll try not to repeat it.”

The Tuscan defender is determined to play in his first World Cup, dreaming perhaps of emulating Marco Materazzi – his inspiration – to whom he pays tribute by wearing the number 23 shirt. “We care a great deal about the World Cup,” he said. “There’s a fantastic group here and a real desire to be together, and all the right conditions are there to build something that can last. Big achievements come from strong groups.” Used to playing in a back three with Roma, Mancini says he has no problem operating as a centre-back in a four-man defence either. “Formations matter, but what’s more important is how we take to the pitch and approach each match.”