The Azzurri’s European Championship qualification prospects are on the line and these England vs. Italypredictions suggest things could get even worse. Luciano Spalletti’s side are trailing their opponents going into match day eight.
1 – England to win – 8/11
2 – Under 3.5 goals scored – 2/9
3 – Both teams to score – 6/5
4 – Harry Kane to score first – 7/2
5 – A draw at full-time– 13/5
It is a repeat of Italy’s European Championship victory match, as the Azzurri face the Three Lions on Tuesday evening. This fixture has been a regular one over the past few years, with the two sides meeting each other in the Nations League as well as in qualification for Euro 2024.
Unfortunately for Luciano Spalletti’s side, Italy’s strong run against England, which saw them enjoy a five-match unbeaten run, has been brought to an end by a poor run of form. Gareth Southgate’s men took all three points in Naples last March, while a draw against North Macedonia has put the pressure on Italy to win here.
The bookmakers see the hosts as strong favourites, with England enjoying a five-match unbeaten streak in competitive matches. The emergence of Jude Bellingham has brought positivity to this England squad, who we back to win at Wembley this week.
Recent clashes between the two sides have tended to be low-scoring affairs and with Spalletti missing some key attacking talents, this could be the case yet again. The visitors may look to frustrate their hosts and do benefit from a combative midfield and defence. A wager on a low-scoring game could therefore pay off, with all of the last five meetings witnessing fewer than 3.5 goals.
That being said, Italy are unlikely to succeed in keeping England out entirely. Harry Kane has been in fine form since joining Bayern Munich, with eight goals in the Bundesliga already. The captain is therefore out tip to break the deadlock and will benefit from being his team’s penalty taker.
All hope is not lost for the Azzurri, however, who proved their tenacity in their win over Ukraine. Davide Frattesi shone on that occasion with a brace, whilst Federico Chiesa has already bagged four goals for Juventus this season.
With no shortage of star quality available, Italy do provide a threat and a wager on both teams to score, as they did in March, is likely to pay off. Furthermore, while a draw might not be enough to draw level in the group, it would allow them to remain in touching distance, so a fifth draw in seven meetings could be possible on Tuesday.
You can watch England vs. Italylive on Tuesday evening on Channel 4.
| Player | Total goals |
|---|---|
| 8 | |
| 4 | |
| 2 | |
| 1 |
| Player | Total goals |
|---|---|
| 3 | |
| 2 | |
| 2 | |
| 2 |
England (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Walker, Stones, Colwill, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Bellingham; Maddison, Kane, Grealish
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Barella, Locatelli, Frattesi; Berardi, Kean, Raspadori
Gareth Southgate has no shortage of options, despite Bukayo Saka, Reece James and Ben Chilwell missing through injury. The England boss may make a few changes in defence, with John Stones potentially featuring at centre-back, while Levi Colwill could make an appearance at left back.
Luciano Spalletti has replaced Nicolo Zaniolo and Sandro Tonali with Stefan El Shaarawy and Samuele Ricci. With Ciro Immobile and Mattia Zaccagni absent from the squad, and Federico Chiesa and Gianluca Scamacca returning from injury, the tactician may go with Moise Kean up front.
