Italy vs Israel prediction and betting tips on October 14, 2024
Game Prediction
On October 14, 2024, Italy will face Israel in the 4th round of the UEFA Nations League. Anything less than a commanding victory for the hosts would be a major upset.
Key Stats and Trends for Italy vs Israel
Italy won both of their Nations League matches in September.
Israel has lost five of their last six matches.
Italy has conceded in each of their last seven games.
Italy leads at halftime in 42% of matches, while Israel does so in only 20%.
Match Preview: Italy vs Israel
The "Azzurri" did not perform well at the Euros, and coach Luciano Spalletti acknowledged this publicly. It's hard to argue with him—although Italy advanced to the knockout stage, it was thanks to a come-from-behind win against Albania and a last-minute draw against Croatia. The reigning European champions were deservedly beaten by Spain in the group stage and then knocked out by Switzerland with a 0-2 defeat in the Round of 16. Israel, on the other hand, impressed in the previous Nations League, winning their group to earn a spot in the top division, and also looked strong during the 2023 qualifiers, though they finished third, just two points behind Switzerland. Their playoff hopes ended in an entertaining match against Iceland.
In this Nations League campaign, Israel, under new coach Bnei Ben Shimon and without veteran forward Eran Zahavi (who missed a crucial penalty against Iceland), has struggled. They entered as underdogs and, after a 1-3 defeat to Belgium, lost 1-2 at home to Italy in September. Spalletti’s men, however, had already pulled off a surprising away win over favorites France before that.
For this round, Italy will be without several key players, including Acerbi, Scalvini, Toloi, Calabria, and Scamacca due to injury. Compared to the last squad, Gatti, Meret, Bresciannini, and Zaccagni are also missing. Despite these absences, Italy were leading Belgium by two goals before a red card changed the game, resulting in a 2-2 draw. Israel also left out Zahavi and Weismann, and their encounter with France ended predictably in a heavy defeat.
Possible Starting Lineups
Italy (possible lineup): Donnarumma – Calafiori, Bastoni, Di Lorenzo – Dimarco, Fagioli, Tonali, Ricci, Frattesi, Cambiaso – Retegui
Israel (possible lineup): Glazer – Baltaksa, Nachmias, Feingold – Haziza, Gloukh, Gandelman, Abu Fani, Jaber, Abada – Baribo
Head to Head: Italy vs Israel
Out of six matches, the "Azzurri" have only slipped up once, when they allowed a goalless draw against Israel in the 1970 World Cup.
Free Prediction for Italy vs Israel
Spalletti and his team can't afford another slip-up. Expect a comfortable win with a handicap of "-1.5 goals" (odds – 1.6).