Group B has just one certainty going into the final group stage matchday – the fact that Spain is certain to progress to the knockout phase. Everything else is up for grabs with Croatia and Italy being the prime suspects for the second spot. This is sure to be a tough battle with high stakes for both teams.
Croatia Team News
Croatia were just second away from securing their first win at the Euro, but a goal Albanian goal denied them the 3 points. Now Zlatko Dalić and his team will have to fight an uphill battle against Italy. Though Croatia has made it a habit in recent tournaments to defy the odds and get out of tricky situations it remains to be seen if this mojo is spent. Another aspect to consider is the goal difference. Here Croatia’s stance is not particularly good and this might come into play should they finish third and end up fighting for one of the spots granted to the best 4 third-placed teams.
Italy Team News
Although losing by just 1-0 against Spain thanks to Riccardo Calafiori’s own goal, Italy should be thankful that the result stayed at 1-0. Spain was utterly dominant for the entirety of the match and created heaps of chances but goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denied them at multiple turns. Still, Italy’s position in this group is better than that of Croatia and Albania as they have 3 points, whereas the other two have but one. Getting to the knockout rounds is still not a certainty for Squadra Azzurra, as a negative result against Croatia coupled with a surprise outcome for Albania might see them out.
Head-to-Head-Games
Croatia and Italy’s last meeting was in 2015 and it ended in a 1-1 draw. The last 3 head-to-head matches between these two ended in 1-1 draws. However, these games should be taken with a grain of salt, as the time that has passed since then is significant.
Croatia – Italy Betting Prediction
While Italy might settle for a draw here, Croatia will most certainly not. For Zlatko Dalić and his men, it is a ”do or die” scenario. I expect them to be on the offensive since the start as they are the team that must look for the win. However, they should be wary of Croatia’s poor defensive record, especially given that they have not kept a clean sheet in 9 consecutive Euro games. I suspect that Italy will take advantage of that as well. My pick here is for both teams to score – Croatia will be looking to win this and they will get vulnerable at the back, something that Italy can punish. And Italy are also rather squishy in defence themselves, especially after looking at their most recent game and the heroic performance by Donnaruma to keep the score at just 1-0.
Betting Tip: Both Teams To Score: Yes
Bookmaker: Sportsbet.io
Odds: 1.83
Sportsbet.io
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