Italy’s victory in Estonia but the World Cup remains very far away. The good news for coach Gattuso: many goals scored, attackers in form and the approach of a team that will have to progress from the play-offs in March
The good news first of all: Gattuso’s Italy wins again and that’s three in three games. Not a bad business card for the coach called in the middle of the emergency and who will have to take us to the World Cup next summer. And here’s the bad news, because the success of the Azzurri in Tallinn against Estonia (3-1) was enough to extend the positive streak but was swept away by the usual Norway which traveled at triple speed.
Haaland (hat-trick) and his teammates overwhelmed Israel with one manita which also closes that small window left open for dreamers. There is no way to try to undermine Norway in the race for first place which is worth the direct world pass. The goal difference of our opponents is an Everest impossible to climb: +26 (29 goals scored and 3 conceded). The Azzurri are very far away (+7) which means having to imagine overwhelming Israel and Moldova with basketball scores hoping that Norway doesn’t do it against the Estonians and then going all out in the direct clash at San Siro on November 16th.
There is no point wasting physical and psychological energy to calculate the algorithm that can avoid the purgatory of the playoffs. In March we will play for the qualification and by that date Gattuso will have to have completed some work to build the team which proceeds with some positive signs.
Italy, the good news of the victory against Estonia
We like the mentality and predisposition of the national team which seems united around its selector. Compared to the lowest point in June, the one that cost Spalletti the bench, the atmosphere is different and you can see it on the pitch. In Tallinn the Azzurri started knowing that Norway had won but despite this they attacked Estonia with great vigor, avoiding creating problems for themselves as has happened too many times in the past.
The spirit, in short, is the good one. Also encouraging is the continuity of goals scored by strikers Kean and Retegui who continue to find their way to the net both when playing as a pair or alone. It’s a shame about the injury to the Fiorentina striker, but the two starters have both scored 4 in Gattuso’s first 270 minutes on the bench. And from behind, Pio Esposito is starting to make his way up the hierarchy and scored the first Italian goal of his career in the break which also saw Camarda become the youngest scorer ever in the Italian Under 21 team.
The super offensive module will not be the national team’s definitive outfit, but in the two matches against the Estonians it worked well. In view of more demanding and decisive tests, starting from the one against Israel which must secure second place and the playoffs, something else will have to be tried and from here on Gattuso will have to concentrate almost exclusively on this. The brutality with which Norway swept away all hope has a positive side, that of clarity. We know what we are playing for, when we will have to be ready and what is needed to avoid the third consecutive failure to qualify. We know it will be hell, especially emotional. We hope to get there prepared and with a national team that knows how to play lightly in the head.
