Italy’s World Cup qualifying journey reaches its final stop this Sunday, and the Azzurri head into their clash against Moldova at San Siro with a mix of calm and frustration. Second place looks all but secured, yet catching Norway at the top seems, well, almost impossible now.
Gennaro Gattuso, who has urged his team to show maximum commitment, has seen the team look lively in recent weeks, winning five straight games and scoring 15 goals, including that easy 3–0 over Israel last month.
The maths is simple but a little cruel. Italy needs to win and somehow hope Norway slips up against Estonia, though with the Norwegians’ huge goal difference, that’s more wishful thinking than anything else. Still, this game offers a good chance to keep momentum going before the playoff drama next spring.
For Moldova, the campaign has been rough, to put it kindly. Rock bottom of the group, one win nowhere in sight, and that 11–1 hammering by Norway still fresh in memory. Head coach Lilian Popescu, though, has managed to stop the bleeding a bit with a 1–1 draw against Estonia, and that at least gave the players something to hold on to. Facing Italy, who look fully prepared and hyped up for the game with posts via their official X handle.
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Team News
Gattuso will likely shuffle his pack a little for this one. Nicolo Barella sits out with a suspension, opening a spot for Roma’s Bryan Cristante in midfield.
Moise Kean, who had a game to remember in Italy’s 5-4 thriller against Israel, as Softfootball reported, is still recovering from injury, and Nicolo Cambiaghi, who was meant to replace him, is struggling with a calf problem. Federico Chiesa decided to stay back to manage his fitness, so Gianluca Scamacca is expected to lead the line.
There are also a few interesting returns: Alessandro Buongiorno and Samuele Ricci are back, while Cagliari’s young goalkeeper Elia Caprile has earned his first senior call-up, which is quite the moment for him.
For Moldova, Nichita Motpan is unavailable through injury; however, experienced playmaker Artur Ioniță returns, and top scorer Ion Nicolaescu is back fit. He averages roughly one goal every three internationals, not bad for a side struggling for form.
Possible Lineups
Moldova: Andriy, Forov, Craciun, Baboglo, Platica, Reabciuk, Caimacov, Rata, Bogaciuc, Postolachi, Nicolaescu
Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Cristante, Locatelli, Tonali; Orsolini, Retegui, Zaccagni
Softfootball Prediction
This one should be straightforward, though you never quite know in football. Italy will want to finish strong, but Gattuso might experiment a bit with his lineup. Moldova will likely sit deep and hope to limit the damage, but the gap between these two sides is miles apart. Expect the Azzurri to control things comfortably, maybe not at full speed, but enough to wrap up a professional win.
Prediction: Moldova 1–3 Italy
