Italy vs Spain Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

Giampiero Ventura had a tough act to follow as he replaced Antonio Conte after Euro 2016. Conte took Italy to the quarter finals of Euro 2016 despite having a squad largely inferior to previous incarnations of Italy. They managed to beat Belgium in the group opener and knocked holders Spain out of the competition in the first knockout round before being eliminated by Germany on penalties.

Ventura didn’t begin in the best fashion as they lost 3-1 at home to France in a friendly, but he went some way to repairing that damage with a 3-1 win over Israel in his first competitive game. Graziano Pelle, Antonio Candreva, and Ciro Immobile got the goals in that game, and those two strikers have done enough to remain in the squad, keeping the in-form Mario Balotelli out of the fray.

However, they face a very different task on Thursday. They go up against a Spain side also under new management, in a match that could prove crucial come the end of this campaign. These two sides are the favourites for the top spot in this World Cup qualifying group, and whoever wins the two meetings between them will more than likely go on to win the group and the resulting automatic qualification to the World Cup.

Spain parted ways with the legendary Vicente Del Bosque after Euro 2016, he has been replaced by Julen Lopetegui. This followed Spain’s unsuccessful attempt at defending their European Champions trophy for the second time, and Lopetgeui has wasted no time in getting his side back on track.

Spain won their first match under their new manager 2-0 in a friendly away to Belgium, with David Silva getting both goals in that game. Julen Lopetegui’s first competitive game in charge was a hosting of Liechtenstein, with David Silva adding another two to his tally. He wasn’t the only one on the score-sheet though as Diego Costa got two, as did Alvaro Morata, whilst Sergi Roberto and Vitolo both added one apiece in an 8-0 demolition of the minnows. This was a far cry from the performance that saw them lose 1-0 at home to Georgia in the build up to Euro 2016.

This is really a tale of two new managers. Ventura has struggled to find the defensive stability that Conte demanded of his all-Juventus back line and has conceded four goals in two games. Spain, on the other hand, have rekindled the awesome attacking threat that was lacking in the summer, scoring ten in their last two matches.

Italy may have deservedly beat Spain in the summer, but this time I don’t think they have the organisation required to hold a rampant Spain at bay. I’m expecting Spain to get the win, but you can never be sure with Italy. I think the best bet is a Spain 0.0 Asian Handicap Win at 1.825, and I’m going for a 3-1 correct score prediction at huge odds of 25/1 as well.