Spain vs Italy Prediction: Expect a Draw?

Spain will face Italy in the second leg of the Nations League semi-final. The bookmakers are on the side of the Spaniards, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. However, it is worth remembering that Italy did not play at all in Qatar, but the Scuadra Azzurra are the reigning European champions.

Spain had difficulty qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, beating Costa Rica but losing to Japan and drawing against the Germans. In the round of 16, Spain lost on penalties to Morocco, the fourth-ranked team in the Mundial. Since the championship, Spain has played two official matches in the Euro 2024 qualifying tournament. The Pyrenees beat Norway 3:0, with Olmo and Joselu scoring the goals, the latter scoring a double. Three days after beating Norway, Spain lost to Scotland with a score of 0:2.

In November, Italy played two friendlies against Albania and Austria; they beat Albania 3:1 and lost 0:2 to Austria. In the Europa League qualifiers, Italy lost 1:2 to England and 2:0 away to Malta. As you can see, the results are average, nothing special for a League of Nations semi-finalist. It should be noted that Italy and Spain played each other twice in 2021, with Italy beating the Pyrenees in the semi-final at the Euros in a penalty shoot-out. The Spaniards got their revenge in the Nations League semi-finals. It should be noted that Bonucci was sent off in the 42nd minute of the match.

Both sides have been underwhelming recently; Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, while Spain managed to qualify but failed in Qatar. Therefore, both sides need to play well in the Netherlands and win the Nations League - first, they should win the semi-final. The bookmakers are on the Spanish side, while we think the teams are about the same level, and in such a situation, it makes sense to bet on the outsider, i.e., in this case, on the Italian team. We won't be surprised if the game ends in a draw. As for the total, we don't expect a high-productive game.