The UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifiers kicks off Thursday, March 23, with eight matches on the schedule, including the marquee showdown from Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, Italy, so we bring you the best Italy vs. England betting pick and odds.
Italy – England Betting Tip, Prediction & Odds (23.3.2023)
After missing the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Italy hope to make amends and qualify for the upcoming European Championship. The Blues certainly want to start the qualifiers on the right foot and beat England in front of the home fans, so we are expecting a great battle between a couple of heavyweights.
Italy vs. England: Initial Situation
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the EURO 2024, and the Blues and Three Lions shouldn’t have any problems getting through Group C. The other three teams are Ukraine, North Macedonia, and Malta.
Italy Stats & Form
The Blues will take the pitch for the first time since November 2022 and a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Austria in a friendly. They stopped a three-game winning streak that started with a 1-0 home victory over England in the UEFA Nations League. The Blues won Group A3 of the Nations League A with 11 points out of six matches (W3, D2, L1) and an 8:7 goal difference.
Head coach Roberto Mancini cannot count on forwards Ciro Immobile (55 caps, 15 goals) and Moise Kean (12 caps, 4 goals) due to injuries. Federico Chiesa (40 caps, 4 goals) or Domenico Berardi (24 caps, 6 goals) will get the starting nod up front, while Nicolo Barella (42 caps, 8 goals) will continue to orchestrate the play in the middle of the park.
England Stats & Form
The Three Lions are coming off a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to France in the 2022 World Cup Quarterfinal. It was their first loss in six matches, and the Three Lions will try to forget the previous year as quickly as possible. They finished bottom of the Nations League Group A3 with three points (D3, L3) and a 4:10 goal difference and were relegated to League B.
Harry Kane (80 caps, 53 goals) continues to lead the way for England, and the 29-year-old captain will undoubtedly earn a place in the starting eleven against Italy. Keep your eyes on Marcus Rashford (51 caps, 15 goals), who’s enjoying a wonderful season with Manchester United. Rashford has accounted for 27 goals and nine assists in 43 appearances in all club competitions so far this season.
Italy – England: Head-to-Head
As I’ve mentioned above, Italy outlasted England 1-0 in their last encounter. It was back on September 23, 2022, and the Blues were listed as 3.20 home underdogs at San Siro in Milan. Italy is undefeated in six straight meetings with England. The Blues beat the Three Lions on penalties in the EURO 2020 Final.
Italy – England Odds
The Blues are listed as small favorites to grab three points, and this game could easily go three-way. Italy have recorded two wins and four draws in their last six matches versus England, so the Three Lions must be highly motivated to finally get one over the Blues. The bookies are not expecting to see a high-scoring affair, and Under 2.5 Goals pays 1.70 at bet365 Sportsbook.
We should see a hard-fought battle in the middle of the park. It’s the opening round of the 2024 EURO Qualifiers, so both teams should be cautious. Each of the last five meetings between Italy and England saw fewer than three goals on the scoreboard, and I’m looking for more of the same.
Betting tip and prediction: Italy – England (23.3.2023)