Kick off was at 9.45 p.m. Estonian time, and ETV2 coverage started at 9.30 p.m.

All of Italy's goals at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia stadium in Bergamo came in the second half, two of them in the game's final minutes, while the visitors were able to keep things scoreless against the 2006 World Champions and 2020 European Champions, despite unrelenting pressure from the outset.

The result is Estonia's fourth loss in the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, out of five matches, and the team is now in fourth place in Group I, with three points.

Before the match

Italy manager Luciano Spalletti was replaced by 2006 World Cup-winning midfielder Gennaro Gattuso. The former Milan and Glasgow Rangers star has already had spells coaching in Spain, Italy, and France, with his most recent role in Croatia at Hajduk Split.

"This preparation is perhaps a little unconventional for us. In today's football, there is so much information available that it is often possible to prepare for certain things quite accurately," said Estonian national team head coach Jürgen Henn at a press conference ahead of the game.

"But this time, the preparation has been a headache in that sense. We have looked at as much material as possible from the previous clubs where this coaching team has worked and are trying to draw some conclusions or even make predictions about what to expect."

"They have a very versatile team at their disposal, and it's difficult to say with 100 percent certainty what to expect in terms of playing style tomorrow," Henn admitted.

"However, it is clear that they will play a very strong game and are a really hungry team. We are expecting a very, very tough opponent."

Italy began their qualifying campaign with a 0–3 loss to Norway, before recording a 2–0 win at home to Moldova. Estonia have won one of their first four qualifying games — against Moldova — with home and away defeats against Israel and a narrow 0–1 loss to Norway.

On the day

Estonia's defenders as well as goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein, on loan from Arsenal to Werder Bremen this season, coped quite well with short passing play in Bergamo in the first half, which even brought a few chances: striker Rauno Sappinen (FC Flora) failed to properly get control of the ball from a Patrik Kristal (FC Köln II) pass in the Italian penalty area, though in the ensuing corner, Märten Kuusk (GKS Katowice) managed to dangerously flick the ball on with his head, but Italy cleared the ball.

Control of the game was clearly in the hands of the hosts as things progressed. As early as the 12th minute, Hein was required to make a good double save, first parrying a Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio) shot and then getting in the way of Federico Dimarco's (Inter) follow-up. In the 35th minute, Napoli winger Matteo Politano headed Dimarco's precise cross over the crossbar from a few meters out; a few minutes later striker Moise Kean (Fiorentina) also sent the ball sailing over the bar from the penalty area.

The most dangerous chance for the home team in the first half came in stoppage time, when stiker Mateo Retegui ( Al-Qadsiah) got on the end of Politano's good cross with a header, but Hein was able to push it onto and over the bar. Thus things ended scoreless after the first half, though the statistics painted a picture of what the visitors could expect in the next 45 minutes: While Estonia did not put in any shots, on or off target, Italy had 17.

Hein was under pressure again four minutes into the second half, pulling off a good save, followed by a parry of a volley from Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali in the penalty area five minutes later.

However, in the 58th minute, he was powerless to stop a Kean header from a Retegui backheel, the build-up including a Dimarco cross which had been deflected, and Italy opened its account.

Just a minute later Kean raced past Kuusk only to curl the ball onto the post from the penalty area.

Italy continued pressing, with this paying off in the form of a second goal in the 69th minute, when Retegui loosed a shot away between the Estonian defenders. Just a minute and a half later striker Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid) headed the hosts into a three-goal lead.

Estonia's best chance of the match came in the 73rd minute: Sappinen shot from 20 meters and new Manchester City signing Gianluigi Donnarumma was able to save low near the post. The rebound reached Levadia midfielder Mihkel Ainsalu first, but he was unable to tap it in.

Italy got in two more goals in the dying minutes of the game: A clinical cross by Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso was headed home by Retegui again one minute before regular time, while in stoppage time, Raspadori floated the ball into the penalty area after a corner. Inter center-back Alessandro Bastoni duly nodded it into the net.

The hosts took 40 attempts during the entire match against Estonia's four. Estonia was issued three yellow cards (Kristal, Henri Anier, Maksim Paskotši) to Italy's one (Bastoni).

The goals can be rewatched by clicking on the video player up top.

 Italy remains in third place in Group I on six points, behind Norway and Israel.

The Estonia-Italy replay at home in Tallinn is on October 11.

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