EURO 2020: Turkey vs Italy Preview, Odds, Prediction

Italy and Turkey open the EURO 2020 tournament this Friday in Rome. These two nations have the honor to be at the center of attention but are also under massive pressure to start the championship with a good result and post three points. Italy is in fantastic shape and is one of the dark horses to win the tournament. Turkey has high goals. This unit has shown a solid quality in the past, but they tend to oscillate and to have occasional slips. Be sure not to miss tomorrow’s ceremony and all that follows.

Preview

Turkey (+700) lost twice in the recent 15 events. Though, they still didn’t earn our trust despite having such a solid record. The reason for that are numerous draws, come of them against much weaker teams in some pretty odd moments.

One of them is against Latvia, 3-3 at home. The Turks previously defeated the Netherlands 4-2 and Norway 0-3, stunning the world with confidence and excellent performance in those two games. Burak Yilmaz was the man in the middle in those contests, with Lille’s striker having one of the best seasons of his life right now.

We need to say that Turkey plays solid football, often both scoring and allowing goals. Their squad is filled with players who aren’t that talented but compensate all that with hard work.

Italy (-200) is without a defeat for the past 27 matches. Even though this is one very impressive record, somehow, Azzurri aren’t getting enough credit. Why? We don’t quite know.

Their defense is the closest thing to perfection, with them posting more than 20 clean sheets during that period. The percentage in the last 10 games is even higher as Italy protected its net nine times. Juve’s experienced centre-backs Chiellini and Bonucci, are the axis of the backline and the overall leaders of the team.

The Italians play cautious and slow football, often trying to have the ball in their feet and dictate the tempo. Though, unlike the previous years, their forwards are much more explosive, with Insigne, Chiesa, and Immobile leading the way.

Latest News

There aren’t any injured or absent players in both teams, and we expect to see Italy and Turkey with the best possible lineups.

Head to Head Games

It’s been a long time since Italy and Turkey met. The most recent clash was in 2006, ending 1-1. The one before that took place in 2002, and it also finished with 1-1. Both were friendly international games.

Prediction

The pressure and the tension surrounding this match are a bit higher because it is the opener of the competition. In such cases, the circumstances are a bit different, but we believe that Italy won’t have any trouble in defeating the rivals. Roberto Mancini’s team is without a loss for 27 games, and that means something; while across the field, Turkey has certain quality but is very inconsistent. So, the final verdict here is Italy to win, with the odds set at -200. Fasten your seatbelts; the EURO is starting.