Italy host England in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group C opener on Thursday, and the European champions will look to begin the defence of their crown with a victory at home.
After defeating England in the UEFA Euro 2020 final, Italy have been quite underwhelming and they failed to secure qualification for the 2022 World Cup. The Azzurri will be hoping to make amends in the upcoming tournaments, and it remains to be seen whether they can begin the qualifiers with a victory over England.
Meanwhile, the Three Lions crashed out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the defeat against France in the quarter-finals and they will look to begin the Euro qualifiers on a high. England certainly have the strength in depth to pick up a morale-boosting result here.
Ready for an important #EURO2024 qualification campaign. ✊ pic.twitter.com/kOuCYeFPs2
— England (@England) March 16, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Italy
Italy will be without the services of Federico Chiesa, Federico Dimarco and Ivan Provedel because of injuries. Leonardo Bonucci is lacking in match fitness, and he could miss out as well. Roberto Mancini is likely to field his side in a 4-3-3 formation, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Leonardo Spinazzola are likely to be deployed as the full-backs, with Francesco Acerbi and Alessio Romagnoli at the heart of the defence. Di Lorenzo and Spinazzola will look to add width to the side during counter-attacks.
In the middle of the park, Marco Verratti will look to control the tempo of the game and keep the play ticking. Arsenal midfielder Jorginho will start as the defensive midfielder, and he will look to protect the central defenders here and recycle possession. Nicolo Barella will add creativity and drive to the midfield.
Domenico Berardi will start as the right-sided forward, with Vincenzo Grifo on the left. Mateo Retegui is set to lead the line for the Azzurri.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Acerbi, Romagnoli, Spinazzola; Barella, Verratti, Jorginho; Berardi, Retegui, Grifo
England
The Three Lions will be without the services of Marcus Rashford, Nick Pope and Mason Mount. All three players are ruled out with injuries. Fraser Forster has been called up to the squad in the absence of Pope. But Jordan Pickford is likely to start in goal ahead of him.
England are likely to line up in a 4-3-3 formation as well. Kyle Walker and Luke Shaw will start as the full-backs. The duo will look to protect the central defenders and help out in the attack as well. Meanwhile, John Stones will partner with Harry Maguire at the heart of the defence.
Declan Rice is set to start as the defensive midfielder, and he will look to break up the opposition play and protect the defensive unit. Jude Bellingham will look to add drive and creativity alongside him. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is expected to start as well, and he will look to help out defensively and keep the midfield compact.
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has been in sparkling form this season, and he is set to start on the right, with Harry Kane leading the line for England. Manchester City winger Jack Grealish is expected to start in the front tree as well on the left.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Henderson, Rice, Bellingham; Saka, Kane, Grealish
Key Stats
- Out of six recent meetings, Italy have won two matches while England won none. Four games between them have ended in a draw.
- Domenico Berardi has six goals and five assists in Serie A this season.
- Both teams have scored in five of the last seven encounters.
- England have only lost one of their 27 major tournament qualifiers under Gareth Southgate.
- The Three Lions have not beaten the Azzurri in a competitive game since the 1977 World Cup.
Player to Watch
Jude Bellingham
The 19-year-old England international has been in outstanding form this season, scoring ten goals and providing six assists at the club level. He was quite impressive for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and will look to dominate the midfield contest against players like Nicolo Barella and Marco Verratti here.
Bellingham will be crucial for England as the Three Lions look to win the battle in the middle of the park.
Prediction
Italy 1-1 England
Both teams have a quality squad at their disposal, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side will want to begin the qualifiers with a defeat, and a cautious approach can be expected here.
Four of the last five matches between these two sides have ended in a draw after normal time, and this one is likely to follow suit. The two teams are likely to cancel each other out. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw here.