Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso has warned his players against underestimating Moldova ahead of their World Cup 2026 qualifier on Wednesday night. Even if the Azzurri win both remaining matches — against Moldova and Norway — they are still likely to finish second in the group and head into the play-offs.

“There’s nothing easy about any match — don’t forget our first game against Moldova four months ago,” Gattuso said in an interview with Sky Sport Italia.

“A lot of people remember that Norway beat Moldova 11–1, but these aren’t players who just wandered onto the pitch by accident. They have their own strengths and challenges. Tomorrow won’t be a walk in the park for us.”

The Italian coach also confirmed that several changes will be made to the starting XI: “We’ll rotate the squad. I want to see the improvements we’ve been talking about for weeks. Nothing comes easy.”

The match between Moldova and Italy will take place in Chișinău on 13 November, with kick-off scheduled for 20:45 CET.