Israel vs Italy Prediction & Tips
Israel go into this match as one of the favourites for second place in the group. Ran Ben-Shimon’s team beat Moldova 4-0 and continue to impress with their attacking prowess: the scoring streak has now stretched to eight matches in a row. At home, the Israelis are traditionally strong: in their last six home World Cup qualifiers, they have lost only once and usually delight their fans with high-scoring matches. Now, however, they will have to play on neutral ground.
Italy, under the guidance of Gennaro Gattuso, start a new cycle with optimism. Two consecutive clean sheets (including a 5:0 win over Estonia) allowed the team to forget the bad run in the World Cup qualifiers. The ‘Squadra Azzurra’ are renowned for their defensive reliability: they have kept nine clean sheets in their last 13 qualifiers, making them one of the most organised teams in Europe.
