After playing out a draw last time out, Italy will look for their first win under Luciano Spalletti when they host Ukraine in Milan.
Ukraine will hit the road to square up against Italy in what could be a very important clash in Group C of the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers. England are comfortably sitting at the top of the group, with Ukraine and Italy expected to fight for the second spot.
The defending champions are currently third in the group, as they have only won one out of their first three matches. Italy have not been impressive post-Euro 2020 as they missed out on the FIFA World Cup 2022. They recently parted ways with Roberto Mancini and have managed to convince Luciano Spalletti to return to a managerial role months after guiding Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years.
The Azzurri head into this encounter on the back of a 1-1 draw against North Macedonia. They might have dominated the ball but were far from their best in the final third. The home team will look to put up a better show against Ukraine as it might decide their faith in Group C.
Meanwhile, the visitors are currently second in the group behind England. They have accumulated a total of seven points in their four matches, thanks to two wins and a draw. A win in this fixture against Italy will give them a much better chance of direct qualification whereas a defeat will see them come level on points with the Azzurri.
Ukraine are heading into this encounter on the back of a 1-1 draw against England. They might not have claimed all three points, but it was a hard-fought point that they managed to earn. Despite not having enough of the ball and only taking one shot on target, they managed to earn a point.
They will look to put up a similar fight against Italy. The visitors will look for all three points and they will surely love to have more of the ball this time around. Both teams have strong squads and it is all set to be an exciting clash. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Italy
Luciano Spalletti will be without a few key players for this fixture. Federico Chiesa and Lorenzo Pellegrini pulled out of the squad ahead of their last outing. Meanwhile, the Azzurri has suffered two further injury blows in Gianluca Mancini and Matteo Politano. While Spalletti has not asked for a replacement for Mancini, Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini has been called up to cover for Politano’s absence.
The action from yesterday 👉 https://t.co/5ZPPPr7wVn#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/3Jrzp8NuCv
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) September 10, 2023
The former Napoli boss is expected to go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in goal. Giovanni De Lorenzo and Federico Dimarco will be the full-backs.
In the heart of the defence, 19-year-old Giorgio Scalvini could star alongside Alessandro Bastoni. In front of the back four will be a midfield three of Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante and Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.
Nicolo Zaniolo will start out wide on the right while Mattia Zaccagni will take care of things on the left. The duo will provide the width to their attack and also look to link up with their star forward Ciro Immobile who has not been as effective at the international level as he is on the club level.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Scalvini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Barella, Cristante, Tonali; Zaniolo, Immobile, Zaccagni
Ukraine
The visitors do not have much to worry about in terms of injuries or suspensions. Their only concern is the availability of Nikolai Matvienko who was forced off at half-time in their fixture against England.
If Matvienko fails to make it in time, Inter Miami’s Sergiy Kryvtsov who replaced him last time out could be handed a start. Apart from that, they will hope that Mykhailo Mudryk will be fit in time after being withdrawn in the 90th minute of Saturday’s draw.
War. Peace. Victory ⏳@England pic.twitter.com/ghVCeLkPhf
— Ukrainian Association of Football (@uafukraine) September 11, 2023
The home team are expected to go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Heorhiy Bushchan will continue in goal. Yukhym Konoplya and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start out wide as the full-backs. Meanwhile, in the heart of the defence, Sergii Kryvtsov will start alongside Illia Zabarnyi.
Taras Stepanenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will look to control the possession and dictate the pace of this game. Heorhiy Sudakov will feature as an attacking midfielder and he will have the support of Viktor Tsygankov and Mudryk who will start on either flank. Meanwhile, Roman Yaremchuk will be the number nine on the day.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bushchan; Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Kryvstov, Mykolenko; Stepanenko, Zinchenko; Tsgankov, Sudakov, Mudryk; Yaremchuk
Key Stats
- Italy and Ukraine have squared up against each other on eight occasions. The hosts have a great record as they are unbeaten so far with six wins to their name.
- The last meeting between the two teams was back in 2018 in Genoa, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
- Ukraine have not scored in five out of the eight matches against Italy.
- Meanwhile, the hosts have managed to find the back of the net in seven out of the eight meetings.
- Italy have only lost once at home in the European qualifiers in the 21st century. Their only loss came against England back in March.
Player to Watch
Nicolo Zaniolo
After a short spell at Galatasaray Zaniolo has joined Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. The 24-year-old showcased his quality in Italy after parting ways with AS Roma. And, on the back of his impressive performances, the English club have added him to their arsenal.
The Italian international might not have found the back of the net so far this season but he has the quality to be the difference between the two teams. The former Roma star will look to get his name on the score sheet and get going in the 2023-24 season.
Prediction
Italy 2-1 Ukraine
Italy have not been in the best of forms but they do have an exceptional squad at their disposal. The home team might not have had the best of days post their triumph in Euro 2020. But, things are expected to change under Luciano Spalletti.
His opening game might have ended in a draw. But, the former Napoli boss knows a lot about winning and can surely turn the Italian team into a winning machine. Meanwhile, Ukraine have been consistently doing well on the international stage. They have often punched above their weight and defeated some of the top teams in world football.
Their draw against England was a tough day at the office for them and they will surely put in a similar shift against Italy. On the back of their recent form and squad, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
