Gattuso's Italy face Estonia in Tallinn in World Cup 2026 qualifier

Gennaro Gattuso will take his Italy side to Tallinn on Saturday to face Estonia in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, with kickoff scheduled for 19:45 UK time at the A. Le Coq Arena. The match is Italy’s fifth in Group I and their third under Gattuso, who said he is prepared to adapt tactics — including the possibility of using a three-man defence — as he seeks to keep the Azzurri in contention for automatic qualification.

Italy sit second in the group with nine points from four matches, six points behind Norway, who have played one more game. That leaves Italy needing both full points in their remaining fixtures and for Norway to drop points if they are to secure top spot and direct qualification. A second-place finish would leave them reliant on the playoff route.

Gattuso acknowledged both positives and problems after recent results, noting the team swept Estonia aside 5-0 in Bergamo last month but were involved in a chaotic 5-4 win over Israel in which they conceded four goals, two of them own goals. "There are many things we need to fix. It's not just about the defence, but about being able to sniff out danger in all areas of the pitch," he said. He added that a coach must...