Overview
- Late headers from Gianluca Mancini (88') and Francesco Pio Esposito in stoppage time sealed a 2-0 win in Chișinău, set up by crosses from Federico Dimarco and Matteo Politano.
- Italy move to 18 points, three behind Norway, and would need a nine-goal victory in Milan on Sunday to finish top of Group I.
- Norway’s 4-1 defeat of Estonia and a +29 goal difference versus Italy’s +12 underline how remote the direct route has become.
- Gennaro Gattuso defended a heavily rotated lineup and criticized jeering traveling fans, saying this is not the time to tell players to “go to work.”
- Italy dominated possession and chances but were wasteful, and players now brace for single‑leg playoff ties in March 2026 after painful exits in 2018 and 2022.