Int'nl Friendly: Italy x Bosnia and Herzegovina, Match Preview, Odds and Predictions(09/06/2024)

Italy will play Bosnia and Herzegovina at Stadio Carlo Castellani in Empoli in their last warm-up match for the 2018 EURO.

Head To Head And Previous Matches

The defending EURO Champions, Italy, suffered a severe setback as North Macedonia defeated them in the Playoffs and could not qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. Still, Italy recovered from an unproductive WC Qualifier with a strong UEFA Nations League performance and then the EURO Qualifiers. Italy is still one of the strongest teams in Europe, even if it lacks the players it once had, particularly up front.

At least not as a sovereign entity, Bosnia and Herzegovina has never participated in the EURO. After winning the UEFA Nations League B, they were relatively optimistic about the EURO Qualifiers. However, they had a terrible cycle, placing fifth in a group that included Portugal, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. However, they had an additional opportunity to qualify for EURO since they won their Nations League Group, but Ukraine handily beat them in the Semi-Finals.

Our Predictions

Italy to win @ 1.33 on Sky247.ng

Having drawn 0-0 with Turkey earlier this week, Luciano Spalletti will want to get Italy back on track for Euro 2024. The former Napoli manager is in a precarious situation, competing after less than a year in command and having to complete a significant reconstruction project.

Although a dearth of goals is a worry heading into the Euros, Spalletti's Napoli won Serie A with a swagger, and he will try to bring the same approach to the national team. Though it was concerning that they drew a blank earlier this week, Italy may have a field day in Empoli this weekend.

The Bosnian team Italy will play has suffered five consecutive losses. The guests gave up 16 goals in those games and scored over 2.5 goals. They shipped twenty goals in their ten qualification games last year and fell 3-0 to a weaker England team earlier this week.

With two wins from two on their brief US trip in March, Italy should have no issue destroying this Bosnian team. Though the European champions have more difficult tests ahead of them, this is an opportunity for them to score some goals and boost their confidence.

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