Italy vs Greece
The Azzurri missed out on World Cup qualification last year for the first time in living memory, but they’ve reacted with real intent and fury.
Roberto Mancini’s team has destroyed all before them in a march to the Euro 2020 finals, winning six out of six with a goal difference of +15. And their next test, Euro 2020 Italy vs Greece, is highly unlikely to buck the trend.
John Van’t Schip brings his inexperienced Greece squad to the Stadio Olimpico with little hope of qualification from Group J, and if ever there was a game where all the cards are stacked with one side this could well be it.
The Italy vs Greece betting odds point — with ultimate conviction — to a home win and I’m not about to make an argument against that!
Talking Points
Roberto is a man on a mission
The former Inter Milan and Manchester City head coach doesn’t have anything to prove, but you wouldn’t know that the way he’s gone about driving his team to the Euro 2020 finals.
Italy’s recent 3-1 victory in Armenia was hard fought, as the Azzurri left it until the final quarter of an hour to win the game. But the boss has instilled a ‘never-say-die’ attitude into his players, some of who looked broken after they failed to qualify for Russia 2018.
Mancini isn’t afraid to show who’s boss as left out young stars Nicolo Zaniolo and Moise Kean from a recent squad after they had turned up late for a team meeting.
Roma’s midfield prodigy Zaniolo has been given another chance to add to his two caps but Kean — who is struggling to make an impact in the Premier League at Everton — will now have to impress the boss all over again.
And this hard line is working as the Azzurri has swept away all before it.
Italy will be without the injured Giorgio Chiellini but will have the experience of Leonardo Bonucci in defence, while upfront they have an impressive attack.
Lazio’s Ciro Immobile, Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne, and Torino’s Andrea Belotti will likely feature upfront, and that’s a daunting prospect for the Greece defence. Immobile is on fire (again) leading the Serie A top scorers list with seven from the opening seven games. Belotti has five and Insigne has three league goals while both have scored two already in this campaign.
Greece short on experience
Benfica’s Odysseas Vlachodimos is the most capped goalkeeper in the Greece squad with four internationals to his name, and he will dominate the post-match Italy vs Greece news if he somehow manages to keep those three Italian snipers quiet.
There isn’t a whole lot of experience anywhere else in Van’t Schip’s ranks and they have suffered two injury blows, with midfield star Kostas Fortounis out alongside defensive leader Kostas Manolas.
1899 Hoffenheim’s defender Kostas Stafylidis has taken the captain’s armband, which makes sense, as no other player in the 25 man squad can match his 27 caps.
History
Italy has a fine pedigree in world football as a winner of the European Championships and four times winner of the World Cup.
But Greece has had its moment in the sun, and what a moment that was when they beat hosts Portugal in the 2004 European Championship Final, with Cristiano Ronaldo missing a late chance to equalise.
Some commentators unkindly suggested that Greece were the first underdogs in history who everyone wanted to lose, but the Portugal love-in wasn’t shared by everyone and I for one admired their dogged refusal to bow to celebrity opponents.
That all comes with being a Burnley fan I suppose!
These two teams have only met twice, playing out a 1-1 drawback in 2008 and earlier this year Italy beat Greece by 3-0 in Athens.
Recent form is compelling. Greece is without a win in six, while the Azzurri has won seven on the trot, three at home, and is unbeaten in the last 18 matches in Italy.
Betting Tip
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Italy vs Greece | Italy Asian Handicap -1.75 @ 1.84 |
| October 13, 02:45 (GMT+8) |
Greece would need to revive the spirit of 2004 to have anything more than a prayer in this game. The latest SBOBET odds say Italy will romp home at 1.21, while the draw is at 6.00 and an away win is 11.00.
It looks like we’re heading for a Greek tragedy!
Shocks do happen in football, of course they do. Just ask Manchester City who managed to lose at home to Wolves last week. But I only see one side with a huge incentive in this game, and that’s the side with all the best players.
A repeat of the 3-0 scoreline from the return fixture is available at 6.00 and I expect that kind of margin.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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