Ukraine vs Italy
Surely Italy aren’t about to miss out on a major tournament for the second time in succession?
Well, we are about to find out as the Azzurri take their Euro 2024 qualifying to Germany.
The fact war-torn Ukraine are having to play their home matches away from home is a distinct disadvantage to start with.
Furthermore, the fact they have never defeated the Italians, the reigning European champions, is also a factor that is not in their favour.
Yet if they were to create European Championship qualifying highlights at the BayArena on Monday night then the repercussions would be felt far and wide.
Talking Points
The scenario is straightforward.
Italy simply need to avoid defeat to secure their passage to next summer’s tournament.
That follows their 5-2 victory over North Macedonia on Friday night when they took the lead through a Matteo Darmian header and could even afford to miss a penalty before a Federico Chiesa double made it 3-0.
Jani Atanasov scored twice for North Macedonia but Giacomo Raspadori and Stephan El Shaarawy wrapped up the win.
So, a convincing victory in the end after a scare – surely Italy aren’t about to miss out on a major tournament for the second time in succession?
You have to go back to Euro 92 for the last time they failed to reach a European Championship and it was in the early 1960s that they last failed to make back-to-back Euros and a World Cup.
Even defeat in the Ukraine and it’s not all over as they will still be guaranteed a spot in the play-offs thanks to their Nations League group victory.
Such is modern day football that you can get numerous chances which really does undermine the achievements of others.
Anyway, qualification will cap a happy end to what has been, to a degree, a turbulent campaign with the change of manager part way through as Roberto Mancini resigned and was replaced by Luciano Spalletti.
Ironically, there will be very much an Italian presence in the dugouts at Euro 2024 as there are four Italian coaches whose teams have already qualified.
Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco was born in Rossano, near Cosenza, but his family moved to Germany when he was two years old.
Vincenzo Montella took over the Turkey job on September 21 but still secured the result to get them over the line.
Marco Rossi has taken Hungary to Euro 2024 following a 2-2 draw away to Bulgaria.
Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona also booked his ticket with a 4-2 comeback victory over Iceland.
Yet it will seem that something is missing without the presence of the Azzurri.
As Federico Chiesa said this week: ‘We must qualify, we are Italy’.
What a fillip it would be if Ukraine, who reached the quarter-finals at Euro 2020, could qualify the tournament after everything the country has experienced over the past 21 months.
They have trained in snowy Gdansk before heading to Leverkusen where the temperature will, presumably, be slightly warmer.
Their job now, with players such as Oleksandr Zinchenko, Viktor Tsygankov, Artem Dovbyk and Roman Yaremchuk, is to make Italy feel the heat.
History
Italy have never lost to Ukraine and now wouldn’t be an ideal time to start.
They have won seven of their nine clashes with two draws (both friendlies in 2006 and 2018).
In September, Italy won 2-1 in Milan thanks to a first half double from Davide Frattesi with Andriy Yarmolenko replying for his country managed by Sergei Rebrov.
Their most recent meeting on Ukraine soil was in a 2011 friendly when Giuseppe Rossi and Alessandro Matri were the goal-getters in a 2-0 win.
Two iconic Italians Attilio Lombardo and Gianfranco Zola were the scorers in their inaugural meeting in a European Championship qualifier in March 1995.
Their only meeting in tournament football was in a World Cup quarter-final in 2006 which the Italians won 3-0 on their way to being crowned world champions.
Ukraine adopted a policy of containment but were behind after six minutes when keeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy was unable to keep out Gianluca Zambrotta’s shot.
Italy extended their lead when Luca Toni guided home a 59th minute header.
Maxim Kalinichenko twice hit the woodwork for Ukraine either side of Italy’s second, before Toni sealed the win as he converted Zambrotta’s cross.
Betting Tip
Italy failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after losing to North Macedonia in a play-off in Palermo last year, causing some fans to fear yet another qualification misstep.
I do not think history will repeat itself as I do not feel they will be consigned to the play-offs this time.
The Sbotop European Championship qualifying betting odds will soon be online so study them carefully before making your decision.
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