Euro 2012 qualifier: Italy 3 Estonia 0

Italy took another step on the road to qualifying for Euro 2012 with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Estonia on Friday.

Cesare Prandelli was charged with overseeing Italy’s recovery after a disastrous group-stage exit for the defending champions at the 2010 World Cup.

And the former Fiorentina coach has guided the team to a commanding five-point lead in Group C, which they maintained with another win at the Stadio Alberto Braglia in Modena.

AC Milan striker Antonio Cassano and Villarreal’s Giuseppe Rossi, reportedly a target for European champions Barcelona, caused havoc among the visitors’ defence, going close several times before Rossi made the breakthrough.

The former Manchester United forward, played in by Cassano, eluded two defenders and then beat Estonia goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko from a tight angle to put Italy 1-0 ahead after 21 minutes.

Cassano made it 2-0 five minutes before the break, collecting a loose Estonia throw-in inside the penalty area and finding the bottom corner of the net.

Italy eased off in the second half, but still went close from Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick and a volleyed attempt by Palermo’s Antonio Nocerino.

They found a third goal on 68 minutes when Riccardo Montolivo lofted the ball over the Estonia defence, allowing Inter Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini – on as a substitute – to advance and score.

The only chances of note for Estonia fell to Martin Vunk, who dragged a long-range effort wide early in the match, and later Jarmo Ahjupera.

The substitute’s deflected effort wrong-footed Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, but sailed past the post.

With Slovenia also winning, 2-0 away to the Faroe Islands, the gap remains five points at the top.

But Italy have played one match fewer than second-placed Slovenia and will be expected to make it an eight-point lead when they visit the Faroe Islands in September.