It is Belgium vs. Italy at Allianz Arena, in the derby of the EURO 2020 quarterfinals. The two powerhouses come into this match filled with confidence after winning all the contests in the previous part of the tournament. However, the Italians did have to go through extra times against Austria but avoided a penalty shootout defeating the rivals before the 120th minute. On the other side, Belgium eliminated the reigning European champions, Portugal, in the Round of 16. According to many, these two sides are in the best form of all the remaining teams in the championship.
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Belgium vs Italy: Kick-off time, venue and TV channels
Kick-off time: 20:00 BST, Friday
TV channel: TBC
Venue: Allianz Arena – Munich, Germany
Match preview
Belgium (+280) suffered a massive beating against Portugal. The rivals wanted to hurt the Red Devils’ players, especially De Bruyne, whom they eliminated in the second half, and Hazard. We also want to say that what we saw from Selecao is a disgrace for football.
But to get back to Belgium’s performance. They could have scored the second goal in the finish if it weren’t for some odd decisions from Thorgan Hazard, who didn’t pass the ball to his teammates on several occasions.
Overall, this is the 13th straight match for the Red Devils without losing and the fifth consecutive win. Their backline allowed just one goal during that stretch which is amazing.
Italy (+100) didn’t shine against Austria in the round of 16 as they did in the group stage. Azzurri had to go through overtime to take down the courageous neighbors. It was 2-1 for Mancini’s side, which allowed a goal following 11 straight games without one. Some suggest that it took place in the extra times and that it won’t count, be we will.
This was the 31st match in a row for this unit without a defeat, but an 11th consecutive win. When looking at these stats, the Italians are by far the team with the best form on EURO 2020.
The heroes against Austria were the youngsters – Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina, the guy who shouldn’t even be here, as he wasn’t Mancini’s original pick for the EURO squad. However, he ended up on the roster following certain injuries.
Team news
Belgium squad
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Simon Mignolet, Matz Sels
Defenders: Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Thomas Vermaelen, Thomas Meunier, Jason Denayer, Dedryck Boyata, Leander Dendoncker, Timothy Castagne
Midfielders: Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne, Nacer Chadli, Yannick Carrasco, Youri Tielemans, Thorgan Hazard, Dennis Praet, Hans Vanaken
Forwards: Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens, Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke, Michy Batshuayi, Jeremy Doku, Leandro Trossard
Italy squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alex Meret, Salvatore Sirigu
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Emerson Palmieri, Alessandro Florenzi, Leonardo Spinazzola, Rafael Toloi
Midfielders: Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante, Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Stefano Sensi, Marco Verratti
Forwards: Andrea Belotti, Domenico Berardi, Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, Giacomo Raspadori
Eden Hazard reportedly finished his EURO 2020 participation, the latest tests reveal. Dirty plays from the Portuguese team took a toll in the end. The latest sources are suggesting that Kevin De Bruyne won’t be able to play to against Italy.
Giorgio Chiellini will be ready for this match, the Italian sources claim. Alessandro Florenzi‘s state is still doubtful.
Prediction
Without De Bruyne and Hazard, Belgium’s prospects for the next stage are pretty slim, However, we simply can’t bet against them because they have Romelu Lukaku who is a massive advantage upfront. Inter’s superstar knows all of the opponents very well, and he could be and X-factor on the field. Our suggestion here would be under 2.5 goals, with the odds on that -195.
Betting tips and odds
Tip 1: Under 2.5 Goals
When these two countries last locked horns, at Euro 2016, under 2.5 goals were produced as Italy claimed a 2-0 win. Four of Belgium’s last six international matches have witnessed fewer than three goals being scored and we all know how strong that Italian defence is. Roberto Mancini’s men finally conceded a goal for the first time in 12 matches during their game against Austria but even then, they kept a clean sheet during the initial 90-minutes.
Tip 2: Draw
Four of the 11 meetings between Belgium and Italy have ended in stalemates and we backing the pair to cancel one another out in the opening 90-minutes of Friday’s clash. Belgium are unbeaten in their last 13 matches while Italy haven’t lost any of their last 31 fixtures, so you can see just why we’re backing a draw between the pair.
Tip 3: Italy to Qualify
Italy have won three of their last four encounters with Belgium, beating the Red Devils in the group stage of Euro 2016 and Euro 2000, and have the added experience of being one of the few countries to have won this competition on multiple occasions. Many pundits believe that this Euros and the World Cup in Qatar are the final chances for their ‘Golden Generation’ to finally win a trophy, something that only adds pressure onto the player’s shoulders.
Head to Head GamesBelgium and Italy met in the group stage of the previous EURO, held in France in 2016. Azzurri won that game 2-0. Giaccherini and Pelle scored both goals, but the man of the match was Leonardo Bonucci. |
