Spain will take on Italy in the UEFA Nations League semi-final at De Grolsch Veste, looking to reach Sunday’s final.
Spain, who face Italy on Thursday, have not been at their best in the last few outings. And their fans will be expecting a strong reaction from the players ahead of a crucial year. La Roja have failed to win four of the last five matches across all competitions. So they will look to bounce back strongly.
On the other hand, Italy have picked up three wins from the last four matches. But they have a poor record against Spain when the two sides do not face off in Italy. It will be interesting to see if the UEFA Euro 2020 winners can grind out a positive result here. The Hard Tackle runs the rule over both teams ahead of the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
🗣️ "We'll have to be compact and counter well."
Davide Frattesi looks ahead to #SPAITA 🎙️ 😃 #NationsLeague #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/M4qWcG203K
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) June 13, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Spain
Luis de la Fuente does not have any notable injury concerns ahead of this contest. Spain are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Unai Simon in goal.
Dani Carvajal and Jordi Alba will be deployed as the full-backs here, and they will look to contribute offensively as well. Robin Le Normand could make his first appearance for Spain, having switched international allegiance from France. He is likely to start alongside Aymeric Laporte.
Champions League winner Rodri will start in the midfield pivot alongside Martin Zubimendi. The two players will look to protect the central defenders and control the tempo of the game. Meanwhile, Gavi and Dani Olmo will be deployed as inverted attacking midfielders, and they are likely to drift out wide and drop into the midfield from time to time.
Marco Asensio, who will soon join Paris Saint-Germain, is likely to be the central attacking midfielder, and he will link up with striker Alvaro Morata to create goal-scoring opportunities for Spain.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Alba; Rodri, Zubimendi; Gavi, Asensio, Olmo; Morata
Italy
Roberto Mancini has a fully fit squad to choose from, and Italy are likely to line up in a 4-3-3 formation. Gianluigi Donnarumma will start in goal. Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Federico Dimarco will be deployed as the full-backs here, with Alessandro Bastoni, and Francesco Acerbi starting at the heart of the defence.
Jorginho will look to anchor the midfield for Italy, with Nicolo Barella and Marco Verratti on either side of him. Barella and Verratti will look to control the tempo of the game and add creativity to the side.
Mateo Retegui is set to lead the line for Italy, with Federico Chiesa and Lorenzo Pellegrini deployed as the wide forwards. Ciro Immobile, Wilfried Gnonto, and Giacomo Raspadori will be among the options on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dimarco; Barella, Jorginho, Verratti; Chiesa, Retegui, Pellegrini
Key Stats
- Spain ended Italy’s world-record 37-game unbeaten run when the teams met in the semi-finals of the 2021 Nations League finals.
- Spain have failed to win four of their last five matches across all competitions.
- Italy have won three of their last five matches across all competitions, with each game producing a winning result for one team.
- 14 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- Four of the last six matches between these two sides have ended with both teams scoring.
Player to Watch
Lorenzo Pellegrini
Players with the most chances created in this year's Europa League 🎯
3⃣2⃣ Lorenzo Pellegrini
3⃣1⃣ Bruno Fernandes
2⃣5⃣ Florian Wirtz
2⃣2⃣ Anastasios Bakasetas
2⃣1⃣ Ivan Rakitic pic.twitter.com/w75PXXGMUj— Stats24 (@_Stats24) June 1, 2023
The 26-year-old midfielder was in fine form for AS Roma this season, scoring eight goals and picking up 10 assists across all competitions. He will be the key to Italy breaking down the Spanish defence.
The Azzurri have failed to score in seven of the last eight away matches against Spain. But Pellegrini could help them create goalscoring opportunities and get on the scoresheet here as they look to reach the UEFA Nations League final.
Prediction
Spain 1-1 Italy (Italy to win on penalties)
Neither side will likely play at full throttle here, especially with the club season ending recently, and this is likely to be an uneventful contest. The two teams are likely to cancel each other out here. So The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw on Thursday. But Roberto Mancini’s Italy will edge Spain in the shootouts to reach the UEFA Nations League final.
