Italy vs Estonia – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Italy and Estonia meet in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifier on Friday at Atalanta’s home ground.

The Azzurri, who currently sit third in Group I with three points from their opening two matches, have remarkably not qualified for the competition since 2014.

Estonia’s only participation at a major tournament came at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. It would take a miracle for them to achieve qualification this time following one win and three defeats.

Italy vs Estonia – Match preview and team news

Italy team news

Inter forward Francesco Pio Esposito and Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni both earn senior call-ups following standout performances at youth level. Roma’s Gianluca Mancini and Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca return after absences, while controversial forward Mateo Retegui retains his place despite a high-profile move to Al-Qadsiah.

Notable omissions include Federico Chiesa, who withdrew by mutual agreement to focus on fitness after recent injury setbacks.

Genaro Gattuso is expected to field a 4-3-3 with Donnarumma in goal; Alessandro Bastoni, Ranieri, Andrea Cambiaso and Federico Dimarco in defence; Tonali and Nicolò Barella anchoring midfield alongside Davide Frattesi; and Pio Esposito might get the nod in leading the line with Giacomo Raspadori and Riccardo Orsolini on the flanks in case Italy opt to experiment the with new faces to give them the experience that might be helpful for next year’s World Cup, but eventually Retegui might get the selection.

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Estonia team news

Manager Jürgen Henn has named a 26-man squad for the trip to Italy, with three debutants earning selections. Young forward Karel Eerme leads the new arrivals after scoring 12 goals in Estonia’s Premium Liiga this season. However, captain Karol Mets and forward Alex Matthias Tamm remain sidelined through injury.

Estonia’s backline will be marshalled by experienced right-back Taijo Teniste, while Karl Jakob Hein starts in goal. Coach Henn is likely to set up in a compact 5-4-1, aiming to frustrate Italy and exploit counter-attacks.

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Form

Italy: LLDLW

Italy lost the first match in the qualifiers against Norway by 3-0 but came back with a win over Moldova. They will now look to maintain their consistency throughout the qualifiers.

Estonia: LLWLL

Estonia have lost all but one of their qualifiers so far with their only win coming against Moldova. They will hope to cause a huge upset by defeating Italy and give themselves a faint hope of reaching the World Cup.

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Predicted lineups

Possible Italy starting XI: Donnarumma; Ranieri, Bastoni, Di Lorenzo; Dimarco, Tonali, Barella, Frattesi, Cambiaso; Raspadori; Retegui.

Possible Estonia starting XI: Hein; Saliste, Kuusk, Paskotski, Larsen; Shein, Palumets; Vlasiy, Kait, Kristal; Sappinen.

How to watch Italy vs Estonia?

UK viewers can follow live coverage on Premier Sports 1 and stream via the Premier Player app.

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