Italy pulled off a dramatic 5-4 victory over Israel that keeps their World Cup 2026 hopes alive, and head coach Gennaro Gattuso couldn’t hide his mix of relief and frustration after a rollercoaster of a match filled with defensive mistakes and last-minute drama.

A Chaotic Clash in Israel

The game turned into a back-and-forth battle where Israel struck first, forcing Italy to react. The Azzurri fought back with determination, but defensive lapses kept the hosts in contention until the very end. The decisive moment came in stoppage time, when Sandro Tonali netted the winner in the 91st minute to seal a surreal victory.

After the final whistle, Gattuso admitted the tension was overwhelming: “Today it was to die for. At the start, they surprised us, but once we imposed our game, we put them in trouble. We got the win, but we’re crazy, we conceded absurd goals. We are too fragile, and that’s my problem, not the players’.”

Italy Stays in the Race

With this result, Italy sits second in the group with 9 points, level with Israel and three behind leaders Norway. Despite the defensive issues, Gattuso praised his players’ determination: “We need to improve some things. Credit to the boys, who were able to react to every blow. There was heart and a will to respond, even if it wasn’t a great day.”

The victory keeps the Azzurri firmly in contention for a World Cup spot, but it also highlighted the urgent need for more defensive solidity if they want to avoid relying on last-minute heroics like Tonali’s strike.