Without doubt one of the games of the weekend in the Nations League as League A3 leaders Portugal travel to Italy. Last time out it was Portugal that came away with a 1-0 win with victory on Saturday guaranteeing them top spot. Form Labs return with their preview and betting tips for the much-anticipated clash and don’t forget to check out our enhanced odds for the game.
Italy Nations League Form
Italy have picked up four points from two games against Poland and were downed 1-0 in Portugal, but there were signs of improvement on display in their last match as they won in Chorzow by the same scoreline. It may have taken a stoppage-time winner to complete the job, though they had wasted other chances before that and it was an important result that shores up their position – which was the immediate task for Roberto Mancini to get to grips with. Indeed, avoiding further national humiliation after their failure to qualify for the World Cup was paramount for the Azzurri, with consolidation of their League A status the first priority.
Group Scenarios
That’s especially the case as the potential scenarios to play out in the group leave the stalemate as an attractive outcome for both teams. Italy need a win at the very least if they’re to stand an unlikely chance of winning the group, though a point guarantees their survival from the drop, while it would also be enough for Portugal to go into their final match versus Poland without a care in the world. None of the four games in this group have been settled one way or the other by more than one goal, and between two cagey teams, the draw seems inevitable.
Past Results
Indeed, Italy have only lost in front of their own fans just once in 30 matches since September 2013 (W15-D14-L1), though they’ve drawn the last five of these with four finishing 1-1. Home or away, they’re W3-D6-L4 since October 2017, with the three victories all one-goal margins over Albania, Saudi Arabia and Poland. However, they did secure stalemates against the likes of England and the Netherlands, while defeats to Portugal and Sweden were both by the one goal, so everything points towards a tight game with little to separate these two sides. Both teams have scored in six of Italy’s last eight, as well as five of Portugal’s last six, leaving the 1-1 correct score as the most likely outcome.
Cristiano Ronaldo misses out once more, and while Bernardo Silva has been making huge strides at Man City, the diminutive midfielder will be burdened with creating chances rather than finishing them off, with Sevilla’s Andre Silva the new go-to man for goals. Indeed, he’ll be desperate to impress at the San Siro after Milan never saw the best of him, with his record of two goals in 24 league games for the Rossoneri paling in comparison to the seven in 11 he’s produced for Sevilla so far this term. He can boast a very healthy 14 goals in 29 internationals, including a strike in each of the two UEFA Nations League matches to date, while he’ll benefit from the additional boost of spot-kick duties in the absence of the Juve superstar.
UEFA Nations League Enhanced Acca Betting Preview, Tips and Odds – 17/11/2018
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