Italy Crush Estonia 5-0 in World Cup Qualifying Match
Italy dominated Estonia 5-0 in a World Cup qualifying match, with goals from top players showcasing the team's strength and strategy.
The floodgates opened in the second half when Moise Kean scored with a header after a deflected cross from Federico Dimarco...
Gennaro Gattuso's inaugural match as Italy's coach ended in a resounding 5-0 victory over Estonia, keeping their World Cup hopes alive. This win marked Estonia's eighth consecutive loss in their head-to-head encounters with Italy.
Italy nearly scored within the first three minutes when Matteo Politano's 20-yard strike narrowly missed the target after a slight deflection. Following a corner kick, Federico Dimarco's fierce effort flew past the post, showcasing Italy's early dominance.
Italy applied relentless pressure from the start, with Federico Dimarco firing a shot wide of the target. Mateo Retegui also had a promising opportunity, but his shot sailed just past the post.
Despite Italy's dominance, goalkeeper Karl Hein wasn't seriously tested until the 20-minute mark. Mattia Zaccagni's effort was parried to Dimarco, but Hein quickly recovered to deny the full-back's follow-up attempt, showcasing his agility and reflexes.
The Azzurri maintained intense pressure early on, but Federico Dimarco's shot sailed wide of the target. Shortly after, Mateo Retegui got into a promising position inside the box, only to see his shot narrowly miss the target.
Despite Italy's dominance, goalkeeper Karl Hein wasn't seriously tested until the 20-minute mark. He made a crucial save on Mattia Zaccagni's effort, parrying it to Dimarco, and quickly followed up with another save to deny Dimarco's follow-up attempt, showcasing his agility and quick reflexes.
Italy created excellent scoring chances, but Matteo Politano and Moise Kean couldn't capitalize on them, wasting promising opportunities. As halftime approached, Estonia's goalkeeper Karl Hein made crucial saves, including a smart stop to deny Federico Dimarco and a spectacular tip-over to deflect Mateo Retegui's header.
Despite Estonia holding firm at halftime for the sixth time in seven matches, Italy maintained their pressure into the second half. Hein's defense made key blocks, and the goalkeeper himself made an impressive save to deny Sandro Tonali's volley, keeping Estonia in the game.
The floodgates opened in the second half when Moise Kean scored with a header after a deflected cross from Federico Dimarco. Giacomo Raspadori then scored twice, first with a stooping header and again after a quick corner kick. Mateo Retegui also scored twice, including a 20-yard effort that sealed Italy's victory. Andrea Cambiaso's pace on the left flank led to Retegui's second goal, a header that made it 4-0.
Estonia's goalkeeper Karl Hein made another crucial save, clutching a Moise Kean header. However, the visitors' resistance was finally broken in the 58th minute. Federico Dimarco's deflected cross was cleverly flicked up by Mateo Retegui, allowing Kean to power home a decisive header.
Just after the restart, Moise Kean nearly doubled Italy's lead. He won possession quickly and struck the post with Estonia's goalkeeper Karl Hein beaten, narrowly missing the target.
Mateo Retegui received a pass from Giacomo Raspadori and expertly opened up his body to side-foot a 20-yard shot into the bottom corner, doubling Italy's lead.
Matteo Politano delivered a precise cross from the byline, which Giacomo Raspadori met with a stooping header, beating Estonia's goalkeeper Karl Hein and further solidifying Italy's advantage.
Andrea Cambiaso's pace on the left flank proved decisive in the closing stages, as he delivered a precise cross to Mateo Retegui, who headed in his second goal of the match and Italy's fourth. This highlight showcased Cambiaso's impact on the game.
Alessandro Bastoni sealed the victory with a powerful header after a quick corner kick, scoring Italy's fifth goal. This win propelled Italy to six points from three Group I matches, although they still trail Norway and Israel, who have played fewer games.
Estonia's losing streak continued, with their tenth successive defeat to teams ranked in the world's top 30. Despite their efforts, Estonia remains on three points from five matches, struggling to find their footing in the competition
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