Italy and England go head-to-head in the Euro 2024 Qualifiers this Thursday at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples in a match that could already shape the group. Herrin Kendrick, one of our experts, has given us a full analysis of this game and his best picks for who will win.
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Italy will begin the defense of the continental title it conquered at Wembley Stadium in the Euro 2020 final against England. After that triumph, things have taken a much more disappointing turn, as despite being European Champions, Italy were eliminated in the World Cup qualifying play-off semi-finals by North Macedonia. For the second time in a row, they missed the World Cup, with their last appearance in such a tournament’s finals dating back to 2014.
Since that disappointment, the Azzurri have already started to react as they managed to top their Nations League group and will face Spain in the semi-final later this year, with a realistic chance of bringing home another trophy. Even with the problems at the World Cup, Italy has won 14 straight qualifiers and hasn’t lost in 40 games (if you don’t count the playoff), so they have top group ambitions for the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
For England, this will be another important test after their heartbreaking World Cup quarterfinal elimination against France, with Harry Kane missing the key second penalty that could have changed the history of that tournament for the Three Lions. Gareth Southgate’s men were however painful to watch in their Nations League campaign early on, which ended with England being relegated from A to B. It feels like the manager has now used all his lifelines, and his reign might well end soon if he isn’t able to put an end to the wait for silverware.
Looking at their Euros qualifying campaigns, we can see that England have won 17 of their last 18 games, and Gareth Southgate will become the third manager in history to win 50 games with England if they take the three points in Italy against the Azzurri on Thursday night.
Italy vs England 1st Betting Prediction: England To Win (Draw No Bet)
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But Italy doesn’t only have issues upfront; their defensive department also looks rather shaky, with the likes of Bonucci, who is not even making the starting XI with Juventus nowadays, and with the likes of Acerbi and Toloi, who haven’t really shone this season respectively at Inter Milan and Atalanta. The only department where Italy looks solid is in midfield, but the likes of Bukayo Saka should cause them several problems anyway.
The Arsenal striker has been in top form this season, scoring a brace in Arsenal’s last appearance in the Premier League last weekend. He will also be motivated to overcome Italy after missing that crucial penalty in the final, and he surely has the numbers to do so, having scored 12 goals in 28 league games this season. He also netted three goals in four World Cup games for England in Qatar, so backing him to score anytime looks like great value here.
Italy vs England 2nd Betting Prediction: Bukayo Saka To Score Anytime
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