Italy-Ukraine is a match on the fifth day of Group C of Euro 2024 qualifiers and is played Tuesday at 8:45 p.m.: TV, predictions.
It’s okay that the pitch was in poor condition, it’s okay that the one in North Macedonia was Luciano Spalletti’s first on the national team’s bench, it’s all okay.
But starting from the next challenge with Ukraine, Italy can’t play with fire anymore: we must bring home the three points, absolutely. Otherwise there is a risk of another embarrassment. Yes, because the draw in Skopje, with the North-Macedonians catching up with us in the final thanks to a splendid free kick by Bardhi, taking advantage of a distracted Donnarumma, besides making us relive the negative feelings of Palermo – yep, them again – risks keeping us at home again. And not participating in the final phase of the next European Championship as defending champions would be an even leaner figure than missing the last two World Cups. The situation is this: taking into account that England has already “booked” the first place, all that remains is to duel with Ukraine – but Macedonia is not completely out of the picture either – for the second. The Azzurri, who were engaged last June in the Nations League Final Four, have to make up one game from the Ukrainians, but they also have three points less, with two direct clashes still to play.
Italy’s backs are already against the wall
This means that Italy, stuck on 4 points, must score at least as many with Serhiy Rebrov’s men in order to be masters of their own destiny.
Mudryk vs. England
Not to forget that in about a month Spalletti and his team will visit England — hopefully already qualified and … satiated — at Wembley. Should it all fall apart, the Azzurri would have the “lifeline” of the play-offs, by virtue of their last Nations League placement. However, in light of what happened in the last World Cup qualifiers, it would be best to avoid this dangerous scenario. Ukraine, in any case, is a healthy team: on Friday they stopped England on the neutral in Wroclaw (1-1) and in their last three matches they have never lost, beating North Macedonia and Malta and drawing 3-3 with Germany in a friendly. Spalletti is likely to change something in terms of formation: in the attacking trident Zaniolo and Raspadori will support Immobile, who returned to goal in Macedonia, while in defense Scalvini will play in place of the injured Mancini. Chance also for Locatelli at center back. On the bench will be Orsolini, summoned in place of the unavailable Politano. No major absence, finally, for Rebrov.
The prediction
The record is on the side of the Azzurri, who have never lost to Ukraine: the tally is six wins and two draws. The past, however, does not take the field. The pressure, in fact, will be all on Italy’s shoulders, while Ukraine could be satisfied with even a point in a San Siro that will try to push the national team to a vital success. A complicated match for Spalletti’s men: the specter of a new flop hovers. Forced to win, Italy will first have to be more precise in goal and concretize the chances that the Ukrainians will certainly concede. One can stay, however, with the Azzurri in a drawn and tension-filled match: watch out for the number of yellows.
The probable lineups of Italy-Ukraine
- ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Scalvini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Barella, Locatelli, Frattesi; Zaniolo, Immobile, Raspadori.
- UCRAINE (4-2-3-1): Bushchan; Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko; Stepanenko, Zinchenko; Yarmolenko, Tsygankov, Mudryk; Yaremchuk.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
