Italy's national football team, led by Gennaro Gattuso, faced criticism from their own supporters during a 2-0 victory over Moldova. Gianluca Mancini and Francesco Pio Esposito scored late in the match to secure the win. Despite this success, fans expressed dissatisfaction with the team's performance. Italy is currently second in Group I and must defeat Norway by nine goals on Sunday to qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.
Gattuso has joined an elite group of Italian coaches by winning his first five matches as Azzurri manager. Only Edmondo Fabbri and Azeglio Vicini have achieved this feat before him. Despite this accomplishment, Gattuso was disheartened by negative chants from travelling fans when the game was goalless. "What do you mean
this wasn't the best Italy performance? I saw the lads dominating the match, Moldova never had a shot on target," Gattuso told RAI Sport.
Sandro Tonali shared his thoughts on Sky Sports Italia, acknowledging that it was a challenging match due to various factors. "It wasn't easy, but this is modern football," he said. Tonali noted that Norway's earlier win created a strange atmosphere and numerous changes made concentration difficult. However, he emphasised that securing three points was crucial for maintaining their winning momentum.
Italy faces a daunting task against Norway, needing a nine-goal victory to avoid UEFA play-offs in March. If they fail to achieve this result, they will join 15 other teams in play-offs divided into four paths, each producing one qualifier. The stakes are high as Italy aims to secure their place in the World Cup without relying on additional matches.
Despite achieving significant milestones under Gattuso's leadership, Italy's journey towards World Cup qualification remains uncertain. The team must overcome substantial challenges in their upcoming match against Norway to secure automatic qualification and avoid the play-off route.
