Italy set out in 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 against Israel?

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Football Italia

·8 September 2025

Italy set out in 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 against Israel?

There are several different interpretations of the tactical system adopted by Gennaro Gattuso for his second Italy game against Israel.

It kicks off at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary, at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

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The Azzurri swept Estonia aside 5-0 on Friday with a 4-2-3-1 formation, but Gattuso has made two changes to the starting XI.

He brought in Gianluca Mancini and Manuel Locatelli to replace Riccardo Calafiori and injured Mattia Zaccagni.

Italy’s defender #05 Gianluca Mancini fights for the ball with Turkey’s defender #21 Baris Alper Yilmaz during the international friendly football match between Italy and Turkey as part of their preparation for the UEFA Euro 2024 European football championships, at the Dall’Ara Stadium on June 4, 2024 in Bologna. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

It was assumed this would make the Nazionale a 4-3-3 formation, the only big difference bolstering the midfield with Locatelli’s presence.

However, the inclusion of Mancini could make this more of a 3-5-2, at least when building out from the back.

It would push Federico Dimarco into a more advanced role and drop Matteo Politano to a wing-back position, leaving Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui as joint centre-forwards.

BERGAMO – SEPTEMBER 05: Moise Kean in action during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Estonia at Stadio di Bergamo on September 05, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)

This fits in with the growing reluctance of coaches to stick with the old-fashioned formations, warning that teams play out from the back with one shape, and then defend in another.

Nonetheless, moving to three immediately would be a rather radical switch for Gattuso, especially as Luciano Spalletti was criticised for repeatedly switching between systems.