Luciano Spalletti takes charge of his first game as Azzurri manager and these North Macedonia vs. Italy predictions suggest he will be successful. The Scudetto-winning manager won’t have long to implement his changes but will benefit from a mismatch in ability between the two teams.
North Macedonia vs. Italy odds
1 – Italy to win– 3/4
2 – Over 2.5 goals scored – 6/5
3 – Italy to win by over 1.5 goals – 8/11
4 – Italy to keep a clean sheet – 13/8
5 – Retegui to score at anytime – 14/5
Italy travel to take on North Macedonia on Saturday afternoon in what is likely to be an easy introduction to life as national team manager for Luciano Spalletti. The Azzurri are overwhelming favourites but were defeated by their hosts the last time the sides met in 2022.
The loss on that night saw the then-European champions knocked out of the World Cup play-off semi-final and likely marked the beginning of the end for Roberto Mancini. In a way, it is therefore fitting that the new manager starts his campaign off against North Macedonia and we back the visitors to secure a victory.
The signs are promising for the Azzurri this weekend, as their hosts’ last match was a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of England. Blagoja Milevski’s side are level with Italy in Group C with three points but have already conceded 11 goals with just three games played.
A wager on another high-scoring fixture on Saturday could well pay off, with over 2.5 goals scored – or on Italy to win by 1.5 goals or more – providing good odds. Past encounters may not support this result, but Spalletti will be keen to put recent history behind the Azzurri and an emphatic win would be a good start.
Mancini’s final few games in charge saw Italy lose their famed defensive resilience, conceding two goals in four of their last five games. As a new era gets underway the back line will be the cornerstone of any success. Against a poor North Macedonia front line, Spalletti’s new-look defence will undoubtedly be looking to protect a clean sheet.
The new boss’ biggest challenge, both on Saturday and looking forward, will be unearthing a consistent goalscorer. Ciro Immobile has never managed to carry his club form onto the international stage, while the likes of Andrea Belotti and Gianluca Scammacca have not been called up.
As such, the burden is likely to fall on Mateo Retegui, who received his first call-up earlier this year. Having secured a move to Genoa over the summer, the forward has already opened his Serie A account and is our tip to score at any time this weekend.
How to stream North Macedonia vs. Italy
You will be able to stream North Macedonia vs. Italy live this weekend via a number of channels depending on your location.
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Scalvini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Barella, Tonali, Frattesi; Raspadori, Retegui, Chiesa
North Macedonia team news
There are a number of familiar faces in Blagoja Milevski’s squad, including Napoli’s Elif Elmas and Ascoli’s Ilija Nestorovski. Both are expected to start on Saturday in a defensively-minded set-up.
Italy team news
Luciano Spalletti’s first Italy starting XI is expected to feature a number of Napoli players, including Giovanni Di Lorenzo and one of Giacomo Raspadori or Matteo Politcano on the wing. Alex Meret is unlikely to displace Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, but Mateo Retegui will battle with Ciro Immobile for a start up front.
