Italy will look to build on their win over France when they hit the road to square up against Israel in the UEFA Nations League on Monday.
Israel did not start the UEFA Nations League in the best of ways, but they surely can end this international break on a high if they manage to take down Italy, who will be riding high on confidence following their win over the 2022 World Cup finalists France.
Israel were within touching distance of making it to UEFA Euro 2024. But they lost 4-1 to Iceland in the playoff semi-finals. However, they find themselves in an elite group in the Nations League thanks to their good work in 2022 when they finished top in League B.
They squared up against Belgium in their opening fixture a few days back and ended up suffering a 3-1 defeat to the Red Devils. While they tried their best, they were not good enough to cause an upset. However, they will hope they can take down the Azzurri in their second Nations League outing.
Meanwhile, the visitors had a disappointing UEFA Euro 2024 campaign as they were knocked out at the hands of Switzerland in the round of 16. They have bounced back in some fashion by defeating heavyweights France in their opening fixture.
They conceded in the first minute of the game but came back from a goal down to seal a 3-1 win. Italy did showcase some great characters and will be hoping to secure their second win when they face underdogs Israel. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Israel
The home team will be without the services of Eli Dasa, and Manor Solomon is expected to wear the captain’s armband for a second time, having done it in the opening fixture.
Israel will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Yoav Gerafi will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Raz Shlomo, Idan Nachmias, and Omri Gandelman. Sagiv Jehezkel and Denny Gropper will feature as the wing-backs. They will look to help out the backline as they will aim for a clean sheet against one of the giants of world football.
Neta Lavi will pair up with Dor Peretz in the centre of the park. The duo will look to control the tempo of the game but are not going it find it easy. Manor Solomon and Oscar Gloukh will take care of the attacking side of things. They will be the chief creators behind Anan Khalaily, who will lead the line for Israel against Italy.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Gerafi; Shlomo, Nachmias, Gandelman; Jehezkel, Lavi, Peretz, Gropper; Solomon, Gloukh; Khalaili
Italy
After being subbed off in the second half against France, Riccardo Calafiori will not be a part of this fixture as he has left the Italian camp. The visitors will line up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Buongiorno, and Alessandro Bastoni will form the back three in front of him. Andrea Cambiaso and Federico Dimarco will feature as wing-back, providing support for the backline and width to their attacks.
Sandro Tonali will sit in front of the backline as the defensive midfielder, and he will have the support of Samuele Ricci and Davide Frattesi, who will have the freedom to move around and join the attack. Giacomo Raspadori should force his way into the starting XI and start in an attacking role alongside Mateo Retegui.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Cambiaso, Ricci, Tonali, Frattesi, Dimarco; Raspadori, Retegui
Key Stats
- Both teams have squared up against each other on five occasions with Italy winning four of those fixtures.
- Israel and Italy last faced each other back in 2017 in a World Cup qualifying clash where the Azzurri won 1-0.
- Israel have managed just two clean sheets in their last eight games across all competitions.
- Both teams have only won one out of their last four matches.
- Israel have never defeated Italy, and they will be aiming for their first-ever win here.
Player to Watch
Mateo Retegui
Retegui has made an exceptional start to the 2024/25 season. He has three goals in their three league outings and managed to bag an assist in their opening UEFA Nations League outing against France. The 25-year-old will look to carry on in a similar fashion, and it won’t be sensible to bet against him getting on the scoresheet again.
Prediction
Israel 0-4 Italy
Israel had a tough time against Belgium. While they did try their best, it was not good enough and they are going to have similar difficulties battling it out against Italy. The visitors will be high on confidence following their win over France, and it won’t be a surprise to see them emerge victorious without much difficulty. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for Italy.
