Stadium: Artemio Franchi (Florence).
After a triumphant Euro 2020, the Italians are back in the World Cup 2022 qualifying rut. Will the Bulgarians be able to put up a decent fight against the strongest team on the continent? We predict an easy win for the Italians.
Italy
The Italian team is the current European champion. Yes, they will have this title for at least three years, not four, because the Euro-2020 will be held in 2021, which does not upset them much. Roberto Mancini’s side had a fantastic tournament and, to the delight of most football fans, won the trophy by winning all seven matches, although three of them outside of regulation time. The Blues will now have to get back to the hard work of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, doing exceptionally well. They have beaten Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, and Lithuania in the first three rounds, with the same score of 2-0, topping the Group C standings.
Bulgaria
The Bulgarian team has only played once in the 21st century in major international tournaments. In 2004, they qualified for the continental championships, where they failed to overcome the group stage. Since then, the Lions have suffered a serious setback, which is still in place. They were unable to qualify for Euro 2020, they failed to qualify through the UEFA Nations League, losing in the semifinals of the tie with Hungary 1:3, and their World Cup-2022 qualification was predictably weak, but their rivals are also very formidable. The Bulgarians took turns losing to Switzerland and Italy 1-3 and 0-2 in their opening two rounds before losing to Northern Ireland, sitting bottom of Group C.
History of head-to-head encounters between Italy and Bulgaria
The teams have played 20 head-to-head games in their history. The Blues have already scored 11 wins, the Lions have been stronger twice, and seven draws have been. The goal difference is also on the side of the reigning European champions - 35-16. The last time the opponents met in March this year, the Italian team won 2-0.
Expert Betting Tips
Italy have been very consistent and quiet in their 2022 World Cup qualifying, winning their opening three rounds by the same score of 2-0. The upcoming clash with the Bulgarians is expected to be something brighter and more festive, as it will be the first game for the Blues since their long-awaited triumph at UEFA EURO 2020. There is no doubt that Roberto Mancini’s charges will try to enjoy the process themselves and please their fans. Bet on Italy’s victory with a handicap (-2.5) at the odds of about 1.97.
The Italian team are the absolute favourites in the upcoming confrontation. It cannot be any other way, as the Italian team is approaching the upcoming game with a 15 straight wins streak and the status of the reigning European champion. Of course, Roberto Mancini’s charges will try to open the scoring as quickly as possible to turn this mediocre affair into a real celebration and carnival, increasing the score difference. With that in mind, it’s worth looking at a bet on the first goal in the match from 1 to 30 minutes at odds close to 1.54.
We all expected that Ciro Immobile would be the man to shine at UEFA EURO 2020, but he has lacked goalscoring in the tournament and missed a lot of chances in the play-offs. One of the continental championship heroes was Federico Chiesa, who made the save in games against Austria and Spain. Without the impact of this 23-year-old Juventus forward, it’s likely the Italians would have been without a trophy. Now we should expect the banquet to continue from this youngster, and we can bet on Federico Chiesa’s goal at odds of around 2.50.
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