Italy Dominates Estonia 5-0 in Gattuso’s Coaching Debut

BERGAMO, Italy, Sept. 5, 2025 — Italy celebrated Gennaro Gattuso‘s first match as head coach with a commanding 5-0 victory over Estonia in a World Cup qualifying match at Gewiss Stadium.

The contest saw the Italians struggle for the first half but find their rhythm after the break. Moise Kean opened the scoring in the 58th minute, followed by Mateo Retegui, who scored twice, and Giacomo Raspadori, who tallied another before Alessandro Bastoni wrapped up the game with a late goal.

Italy has faced pressure in Group I after starting the campaign with a 3-0 loss to Norway. Gattuso’s side now sits third in the group with six points, trailing Norway’s 12 and Israel‘s nine. Italy’s upcoming match against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, now looms large.

“We showed great hunger, hard work, and humility all week. We proved we’re still standing and want to fight for qualification,” Retegui said after the match.

In the first half, Italy controlled possession but struggled to find the back of the net. They created several chances, but Estonia’s goalkeeper Karl Hein made impressive saves, including a tip over the bar from a powerful Retegui header.

After the break, Italy increased their attacking tempo, with Kean finally breaking the deadlock with a close-range header set up by Retegui. Retegui then added to the tally in the 69th minute with a precise finish.

Raspadori, who came on as a substitute, scored a diving header just a minute later. Retegui added another goal in the 89th minute, and Bastoni capped the match deep into stoppage time with a header.

Gattuso praised his players, stating, “We have to thank the players for the performance, because we were only lacking a goal in the first half.” The Azzurri now look forward to facing Israel, needing to continue their momentum.