European Championship Italy takes on Luis Enrique's Spain in their own backyard to play the first semifinal of the Nations League. Both of these nations faced each other in a similar stage in the European Championship played in the summer of this year. The winner of this tie will face either
Match Details :
When: Wednesday, 6 October/ Thursday, 7 October
Timings: 20:45 (local), 00:15 (IST)
Where: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
ITA vs SPA Match Preview :
Roberto Manchini's Italy has gone 38 straight games unbeaten a run stretching for three years. No other nation have created such an extraordinary record on the international stage. The Azurri did stumble from their original rhythm with the scare of the record not being set in the last two games of the European Championship but despite suffering against Spain in the semis and England in the final, they went on to lift the silverware eluded since 1968. Going down so early in the final at Wembley, Italy hold their nerves and forced an equalizer in the second half going on to triumph 3-2 on penalties after Donnarumma saved the deciding spot-kick from England's Bukayo Saka. Two unwanted draws with Bulgaria & Switzerland in the World Cup qualifiers next didn't help the cause but the European champions turned back with a 5-0 thumping of Lithuania. Now, they seek a chance of winning a second successive international trophy in 2021.
Spain will be hoping to exert revenge on their opposition tonight after getting knocked out of the Euros semi final through penalties. Donnarumma's heroics worked on that night too after Italy was almost unmatched by La Roja in normal and extra time. Although Mancini's side took the lead through Chiesa after Spain sprang chances of their own, Alvaro Morata restored priority but his miss in the shootout proved costly eventually. Enrique saw his side carry forward that disappointment with a 2-1 defeat in the hands of Sweden in the World Cup qualifiers but since has bounced from that with back-to-back resolute wins over Georgia and Kosovo. La Roja are adamant not to have a similar fate in the semifinal of another competition that if not major is a silverware to battle for. Italy have a home advantage both in the semis and the showpiece final but Spain are hoping to drown their dreams
by breaking their invincibility.
Recent Form (Last 5) :
Italy: WWDDW
Spain: WLLWW
ITA vs SPA Team News :
Italy has notable absentees to deal with. Leonardo Spinazzola, Alessandro Florenzi, Gaetano Castrovilli and Andrea Belotti are already out with their respective injuries or Covid cases and now Ciro Immobile, Pessina and Rafael Toloi join the list. With no proper number nine available, Moise Keane is called up along with Milan's Davide Calabria. Giovanni Di Lorenzo is certain to begin at right-back role while Emerson will make the left-back position of his own ahead of the informed Marcos Alonso considering he mainly operates as a wing-back at Chelsea. The iconic center-back duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci with 224 caps between them will form another agile defensive partnership for this game. A hero at the European Championship, Juventus star Federico Chiesa is ready to show his class for the Azzurri's.
Main contributors for Spain's journey at the Euros namely Pedri, Thiago Alcantara, Dani Olmo & Alvaro Morata are all out for the tournament held in October. Adama Traore, Diego Llorente and significantly Jordi Alba have also not traveled with the squad. In Alba's place, Sergio Reguiion is set to earn his seventh cap for the national team. Marcos Llorente is another name absent from the squad list due to an injury. Luis Enrique has called up some young and talented squad to the team including Bryan Gill of Tottenham and two uncapped players in Gavi and Yeremi Pino. Ferran Torres has become a sort of talisman for Spain in the current moment so he will lead the line in the absence of Morata. Unai Simon will start in between the sticks despite De Gea starting the current season brightly with Manchester United.
ITA vs SPA Predicted Lineups :
Italy: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Emerson Palmieri, Nicolo Barella, Jorginho, Marco Verratti, Federico Chiesa, Moise Kean, Lorenzo Insigne
Spain: Unai Simon; Cesar Azpilicueta, Pau Torres, Aymeric Laporte, Sergio Reguilon, Koke, Sergio Busquets, Mikel Merino, Pablo Sarabia, Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal
ITA vs SPA Head to Head :
The rivalry between Italy and Spain has been spread over 35 games with Spain winning 12 compared to Italy's 11. The other 12 have been drawn like the Euro 2020 semi final. These meetings also have contrasting fortunes on the international stage but both haven't played in the Nations League before this fixture.
GK: Donnarumma (ITA)
DEF: Azpilicueta (SPA), Bonucci (ITA), Laporte (SPA), Emerson (ITA)
MID: Barella (ITA), Busquets (SPA), Jorginho (ITA), Koke (SPA)
FW: Chiesa (ITA), F. Torres (SPA)
Match Prediction: Italy 2-1 Spain
Spain has troubled Italy in the past but the Azzurri have shown they are a difficult side to crack down even if put under intense pressure. The narrative will be the same over here too with both setting up similar tactics like in the Euros but Italy will manage the win without going to penalties this time out to the finals carrying on their impressive record.
