Gattuso: ‘Italy lost excellence by trying to do something different’ | OneFootball

Gennaro Gattuso feels Italy ‘lost some of that strength by trying to do something different’ from their rock solid defensive roots. ‘We must get back to that block everyone in the world was wary of.’

It kicks off at the Le Coq Arena in Tallinn at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

Before that, in the same group, Norway host Israel at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).

BERGAMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Coach Gennaro Gattuso of Italy gesture 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)

Still playing catch-up to the Norwegian leaders, the Azzurri are forced to win every game and hope for a good result in their final showdown.

Although Italy won both fixtures under Gattuso, the 5-4 victory over Israel flagged serious issues with defending.

Gattuso warning Italy lost historic strengths

BERGAMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Alessandro Bastoni of Italy celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s fifth goal 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)

“I want to see a courageous Nazionale this evening, but the lads must also be able to sniff out danger,” the CT told RAI Sport.

“It is a long journey ahead of us, but we’ve got to get back to being the team we were before.”

Italy have failed to qualify for the last two editions of the World Cup, in 2018 and 2022, but between those events managed to win the EURO 2020 trophy.

“Italian football was a home of excellence for goalkeepers, defending and our tactics, so by trying to do something different, I think we lost some of that strength,” added Gattuso.

“We must get back to doing the things we have stopped doing. We used to play as a unit, but now in chasing individuals around and going man for man, we run more risks.

“We’ve got to get back to the strengths of the Azzurri, to that Italian defensive block that everyone in the world was wary of.”

BERGAMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Gennaro Gattuso, Head Coach of Italy during the National anthems prior to 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)

Gattuso is expected to set Italy out in a 4-4-2 formation this evening, but it is a very attack-minded one, with Riccardo Orsolini and Giacomo Raspadori effectively making it more of a 4-2-4.

Probable Italy line-up: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori, Dimarco; Orsolini, Barella, Tonali, Raspadori; Kean, Retegui