Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the World Cup qualifying match.
There were no surprises in Italy’s first outing, as they dismantled Estonia 5:0 in front of their supporters. On neutral ground in Hungary, Nicolò Barella and his team-mates should find plenty of opportunities to prise open Israel’s defence; for Italy, avoiding slip-ups in qualifying remains crucial.
Israel
Coming into this fixture, Israel have played one match more than Italy in qualifying, so they are three points clear of their rivals. After a 4:2 defeat to Norway, Oscar Gloukh and his team-mates dealt with the group’s outsiders, Estonia (3:1) and Moldova (4:0). In Chisinau, Israel allowed 0.69 xGA against the weakest side in a five-team group; they are unlikely to avoid errors again today.
Italy
In June, Italy suffered a painful 3:0 defeat to Norway, who are very likely to claim top spot in the group. In the Bergamo opener against Estonia, the contest failed to ignite for almost an hour, but from the 58th minute the team struck five unanswered goals. For Italy, substitutions are again a key factor: Giacomo Raspadori came off the bench for a goal and two assists. In defence, the Italians have moved away from a back three under new head coach Gennaro Gattuso, but even in a back four Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori step into midfield.
Israel vs Italy Prediction
In the group stage of the most recent UEFA Nations League, Israel lost twice to Italy (1:2 and 1:4). On Monday, the Italians should stay on track.
