UEFA Nations League: Italy vs. Spain Preview, Odds, Prediction

Italy and Spain will have another semifinal clash this year, only, in this case, it isn’t the EURO 2020 but the UEFA Nations League. Spain seeks revenge for the defeat in London a few months ago, once they suffered an elimination following the penalties. Meanwhile, Italy didn’t lose 37 matches, and we can truly say that they are the best team on the continent. Despite not having some superstars, Azzurri are a perfectly balanced team, with superb chemistry and system.

Preview

Italy (+125) wasn’t that convincing in the post-EURO performances. After winning the continental crown, their first game was at home against Bulgaria, and it ended with a surprising draw, 1-1. Following that, Italy headed for Switzerland to play without goals against the hosts, but even that one point from this contest was like a win for Mancini’s guys.

They pretty much secured the top spot in their World Cup qualifiers assembly. Following these two games, Azzurri pumped up the morale against Lithuania, smashing the rivals with 5-0.

As said, this unit is without a defeat for 37 matches. There isn’t too much to be said that you already don’t know. Excellent defense, fast transition, superb tactics, all this could be seen in Italy’s games.

Spain (+260) is coming to Milan with several new faces compared to the EURO, and it seems that Luis Enrique wants to test more players before the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. To be honest, the Spaniards didn’t amaze anyone at the recent EURO, but they would still reach the semis and lose narrowly to Italy.

This Red Fury generation is a replica of the previous ones, only without big stars. The game plan is almost the same – taking possession from the rival and controlling the rhythm throughout 90 minutes. Still, it is obvious that Spain has certain troubles when it comes to creativity upfront.

They lost to Sweden 2-1 in the first match after the EURO, but bounced back with two straight wins, vs. Georgia, 4-0 and Kosovo, 0-2.

Latest News

The Italians won’t have Ciro Immobile who picked up an injury and isn’t available for this gathering. Matteo Pessina and Rafael Toloi are out as well.

Spain has a lot of absent players coming into this match. The most notable names are Pedri, Dani Olmo, Alvaro Morata and Thiago Alcantara, plus, Adama Traore, Jordi Alba and Diego Llorente. It will be interesting to see what are Enrique’s plans for tonight’s game.

Head to Head Games

The EURO semis took place on July 6 in London, at Wembley. The regulations ended 1-1, with Chiesa scoring for the Italians and Morata leveling the result 10 minutes before the end. Later on, Italy would progress to the finals after penalties.

Prediction

This is going to be a very tough game for both sides and for watching as well. Don’t expect to see too many chances and goals because these teams are always cautious, and their style of play simply isn’t that productive and efficient. Instead, it will be a tactical battle between Mancini and Enrique, so the best possible solution is to bet on under 2.5 goals. The current odds for that are -195.

Pick: Under 2.5 goals -195