Estonia takes on Italy: Can the underdogs surprise in Bergamo?

Tonight, Estonia is in Bergamo for what promises to be a daunting World Cup qualifying clash against Italy. The Azzurri, four-time World Cup winners and two-time European champions, are experiencing an unusual period of turbulence. After missing the last two World Cups, Italy still managed to lift the Euro 2020 trophy in London, defeating hosts England in a dramatic penalty shootout.

For Estonia, however, the focus is on seizing the moment and testing themselves against one of football’s elite. So far in qualifying, Estonia has recorded one victory and three defeats. Their campaign includes two losses to Israel, a hard-fought win against Moldova, and a narrow 0-1 home defeat to Norway. This September window brings two fixtures: the World Cup qualifier against Italy tonight, followed by a friendly against Andorra, which will also serve as a farewell to veterans Taijo Teniste and Konstantin Vassiljev. But all attention is on Bergamo.

Coach Jürgen Henn will again be without captain and Bundesliga defender Karol Mets. Goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein, recently loaned from Arsenal to Werder Bremen, awaits his German club debut and could gain valuable experience against the Italian giants. Estonia will also be missing forward Alex Matthias Tamm, sidelined due to injury.

Defender Maksim Paskotši reflected on the challenge ahead: “We know Italy is a four-time world champion and we won’t dominate them. But our previous performances give us confidence. Matches like this are why we play football – facing top-level players. We’ll give everything on the pitch and see what happens.”

Estonia’s June clash against Norway, despite ending 0-1, left positive impressions thanks to the team’s organization and fighting spirit. Paskotši emphasized that Bergamo will require the same focus and discipline: “If we played well as a team against Norway, we can challenge Italy too.”

Italy comes into this match under new leadership. In June, Luciano Spalletti stepped down, and former star midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, with a distinguished playing career but limited coaching experience, took over. Preparing for a team under a new coach has added complexity for Estonia: “We’ve studied Gattuso’s previous teams and tried to anticipate his approach. But it’s impossible to predict everything. Italy is ambitious and this will be a very tough match,” Henn explained.

Despite Italy’s internal changes, Estonia draws confidence from its recent performances: “We need to replicate the elements that made us competitive before while continuing to improve,” Henn said. He also highlighted the importance of flexibility in player selection.

For Italy, failure to secure direct qualification means every match carries immense pressure. Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella spoke about the stakes: “We’re aware of the pressure, but that’s normal. Our goal is to perform and get back to the level this team is capable of. Estonia is well-organized, but we will play to win.”

Gattuso, making his debut as Italy coach, described the emotional weight: “Being a coach is completely different from being a player. The responsibility is enormous. Estonia is disciplined and organized, and we’ll need to impose high pressure and avoid mistakes.”

Estonia faces Italy for the seventh time in history. Their first meeting came in April 1993, a 0-2 loss in Trieste, and since then, Estonia has been unable to secure a victory in six subsequent encounters. In four matches in the 1990’s Martin Reim scored Estonia’s only goal against Italy in Salerno in 1995, while the closest the team came to an upset was in 2010 at A. Le Coq Arena, when Sergei Zenjov’s first-half strike gave Estonia the lead and belief that they could come out on top, but Italy 30 minutes later scored twice in three minutes to win the match.

Tonight, Estonia will aim to recreate that fighting spirit in Bergamo. Can the underdogs pull off a shock against the Italians? Kick-off is at 21:45 Baltic time.