Italy (National Football)

Gian Piero Ventura has denied resigning from Italy's managerial role after a 0-0 draw against Sweden on Monday saw his side fail to qualify for the finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

A 1-0 win in the first leg meant Sweden won the tie on aggregate, and it was widely reported—including by Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol—Ventura was no longer in charge.

However, the reports were premature as Ventura stated in his press conference (h/t Football Italia) that he was still at the helm, for the moment.

"I have not resigned, because I haven't spoken to the president yet," Ventura said. "I'm sorry for being late, but every player I had the privilege of working with, I wanted to salute individually." 

While the Swedes will feature in their first World Cup since 2006, Italy—who won the tournament that year—will be absent for the first time since 1958.

The Guardian's Serie A expert, Fabrizio Romano, gave a damning assessment of the tactician and his time in charge:

Worst Italy manager ever. pic.twitter.com/WSwUk55lle

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 13, 2017

It appears Ventura is on borrowed time, and his comments about being proud to have led the Azzurri appeared to suggest his departure is inevitable.

Italy were in the World Cup UEFA play-offs after finishing second to 2010 world champions Spain in their group, but a limp effort across both legs of their clash with Sweden has left the team in disarray.

Romano also provided footage of an emotional Gianluigi Buffon as he spoke to reporters after the loss, and the longstanding national team goalkeeper said:

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/930197277972553728

Should he step down, Ventura would leave the Azzurri having won nine of his 16 matches in charge of the team, and competitive defeats to Spain and Sweden have ultimately had a telling impact on the side's fortunes.

Despite the shock of Italy's failure to make it to the World Cup, beIN Sports broadcaster Matteo Bonetti argued Monday's events shouldn't be that much of a surprise:

https://twitter.com/TheCalcioGuy/status/930190590939103232

Ventura is a journeyman of the Italian league system and has managed Serie A outfits such as Napoli, Torino, Udinese and Sampdoria in the past, although a Serie C1 title win with Lecce in 1996 remains his greatest success.

Four-time winners Italy will miss out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia after they could only draw 0-0 with Sweden at the San Siro in the second leg of their play-off on Monday. 

Jakob Johansson had given Sweden a 1-0 lead in the tie after he netted in Friday's first leg, and the visitors then produced an immaculate defensive performance in Milan to book their spot at 2018's tournament. 

Italy will not be present at their first World Cup since 1958, and manager Gian Piero Ventura is likely to face huge criticism for failing to see the Azzurri through.

Time for Ventura to get the boot? 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/mXCzYRCAbK

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 13, 2017

The hosts had their opportunities on Monday, especially in the first half, but looked devoid of inspiration late on as they searched desperately for a goal that would have seen the tie go to extra time.

For legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, it was his last appearance as an Italy player in a remarkable career, per BigSport:

 175 Caps
 20 Years
 1 World Cup

A true legend bows out, and an era ends... pic.twitter.com/d7Gg54mrzi

— BigSport (@BigSportGB) November 13, 2017

The Juventus stopper expressed his enormous disappointment at the final whistle, per Tom Rostance of BBC Sport: "I'm not sorry for myself but all of Italian football. We failed at something which also means something on a social level. There's regret at finishing like that, not because time passes."

Italy were always likely to struggle to qualify automatically for next year's World Cup as they had Spain in their qualifying group.

They managed to earn second spot behind La Roja to make the play-offs, but they never really convinced in Group G, managing only narrow wins over the likes of Albania and Israel, drawing at home to Macedonia and losing 3-0 to Spain in Madrid.

Italy's poor form left them having to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat to Sweden on Monday in Milan.

Jorginho looked impressive in the opening 45 minutes and set up two decent opportunities for Ciro Immobile, while Antonio Candreva also missed a fine chance.

In truth, though, Italy hardly looked rampant and were lucky not to concede at least one penalty before the break, especially when Matteo Darmian handled in the box early on.

The Manchester United defender then could have been awarded a penalty for Italy early in the second half when he looked to be kneed by Mikael Lustig.

The referee gave neither, though, and Sweden's defending throughout both legs saw them deservedly book a spot at the World Cup for the first time since 2006.

There’s no way to hide it; Italy’s qualification campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup has been a disaster. Boss Gian Piero Ventura has made serious errors in judgement, from playing a 4-2-4 formation against a Spain side who would eventually top their group to the continued selection of various players; his decisions have been widely criticised.

As his team lost 3-0 to La Furia Roja, the former Torino coach was not surprised by the reaction to his choice. "I realised yesterday that I'd get criticised whatever I did,” Ventura said at his post-match press conference. “People were saying I'd play 3-5-2 and blasting me for not using [Lorenzo] Insigne. I realised then there is absolutely no balance in the feedback you get from social media."

Yet while it is undeniable that the decision to field a two-man midfield against Spain’s slick passing and constant motion deserved the condemnation it received, it is arguably not Ventura’s biggest error.

#SPAGNA massacre Italy 3-0 in Madrid. Isco (2), Morata scorers, Spain utterly dominant. Ventura' s gamble with 4-2-4 line-up total flop

— paddy agnew (@PaddyAgnew) September 2, 2017

For at least the last 18 months and perhaps even longer than that, Jorginho has been the most effective and outstanding midfielder eligible for the Italian national team but not been asked to play a single minute.

Despite being the heart of Napoli’s high-octane side, the 25-year-old has been amassing both eye-popping statistics and admirers with equal aplomb, yet he remained a glaring omission from Ventura’s squads.

He joined the Partenopei in January 2014 but struggled in his first year with the club, only to blossom when Maurizio Sarri replaced Rafael Benitez as coach. In 2015/16, Jorginho completed 3,590 passes per WhoScored.com, over 500 more than any other player in Serie A.

In the following campaign, he averaged 110.9 passes per 90 minutes, per the same source, a mark that stood a staggering 19.9 higher than any other player in the division, and this term the gap already stands at 17.6.

Jorginho: Has made more accurate passes (2024) than any other player in Europe's top 5 leagues in 2017 pic.twitter.com/5lhbk9lPP1

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) October 9, 2017

But make no mistake, this is not passing for the sake of passing. With Jorginho, no ball is wasted, and each is played with the objective of pushing his team forward towards the opposition goal.

It is no coincidence that Napoli have found the back of the net 206 times since the start of the 2015/16 campaign until today, their total more than closest rivals Juventus (187) or AS Roma (194) have mustered over that same period.

It all starts with Jorginho. “My job is to bring balance to the team,” he told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli back in April (h/t Napoli Football). “I try to do it to the best of my ability. Everyone has a very specific role.”

That is the aim of the meticulous Sarri, who admitted last year he had been impressed by the work his midfielder had done to help the side. “He has improved so much in terms of character,” Sarri told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) after a win over Palermo. “Tonight he had 167 touches. I’ve seen pages and pages of praise written for players who had 70 less per game.”

6 - Over the last 10 years Jorginho has recorded the six highest results for touches in a single Serie A game. Light. pic.twitter.com/GaYheFFq2G

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) April 11, 2017

As the graphic in the tweet above highlights, that was the second-highest number of touches by any player in Italy over the last decade, with Jorginho remarkably holding all six of the best performances fitting that criteria.

It is clear from his demolition of the Serie A record books that every Napoli attack flows through him, that he is the source of their free-flowing, one-touch approach. If Xavi and Andres Iniesta personify Pep Guardiola’s “tiki-taka” style at Barcelona, Jorginho stands alone as the embodiment of “Sarri Football” at the Stadio San Paolo.

Opposition players and managers have noticed. “He always plays tight, with one-metre passes, and he is difficult to catch up with and disrupt,” Radja Nainggolan said as he named Jorginho his most difficult opponent in an interview with Roma’s official website over the summer.

“You get tired because he always moves the ball around quickly, without moving around himself,” the Belgium international added. “It’s not that I was in big difficulty against him, but you have to use a lot of energy to keep up with the ball and disrupt what he is trying to do. It can be really difficult sometimes."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry5vta2wwWk

Guardiola himself was more succinct in a recent press conference. “Jorginho is marvellous,” the Manchester City boss told a press conference before his side took on Napoli earlier this month.

“I’m surprised, like many others, that Jorginho hasn’t been called up sooner by Ventura,” BT Sport commentator Adam Summerton told Bleacher Report as he reflected on the midfielder’s continued Italy omission. “He has become a vital cog in a Napoli side playing some of the best football in Europe, a player who so rarely gives the ball away, despite making far more passes per game than most. “

“In a team with so much verve and flair he provides far less unheralded but equally important qualities which help give balance to the Napoli side,” Summerton continued. “Calmness, authority and composure all come to mind. Importantly for any player in his position, Jorginho also reads the game well and has good positional sense.”

Losing Jorginho to Brazil would probably be worse for Italy than not qualifying for next World Cup

— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) October 14, 2017

Yet Ventura has been almost comical in insisting his side had no space for such a player. “I am surprised that everyone is so amazed by this, because we don’t play with a methodical midfield,” he said when quizzed about Jorginho’s absence by Il Mattino (h/t Football Italia) just last month. “He is the best in that role, but in my Nazionale, currently such a role does not exist. I can’t call him up if he there’s no room for him to play.”

Even Ventura’s own former assistant was bemused by that, Carlo Tebi telling Radio Punto Zero (h/t Football Italia) a few days later that it was “unthinkable to leave such a strong midfielder at home.”

But now, only a month removed from those comments, the Italy boss was finally forced to backpedal, including the Napoli man in his squad for the playoff clashes with Sweden. His sudden change of heart would come just as Italy’s World Cup qualification and his own job as coach were under threat.

“I called up Jorginho because he’s doing well,” Ventura told a press conference earlier this week, something everyone else had noticed over a year earlier but which left supporters feeling hopeful their man would, at last, have the opportunity to shine.

https://twitter.com/NaplesAndNapoli/status/927816271714021376

“Whether it was for political reasons or just general tactical stubbornness, the fact that Ventura is only now calling up a midfielder consistently rated as one of the best distributors in Europe is mind-boggling,” Phil, the President of Napoli Club Philadelphia told Bleacher Report. “I’m just relieved, as both a Napoli and Italy fan, that Jorginho finally received the call he unquestionably deserves.”

Saying his inclusion is long overdue would be as understated as the player’s own rise to stardom. Never one to pout or complain, Jorginho has patiently waited for his chance to pull on the Azzurri shirt he craved so much for so long, only wanting to play for Italy despite also being eligible to represent Brazil.

Of course, he must now wait to see if he is given any playing time, but the team need a player who can retain possession, find his team-mates and keep the ball moving. Ventura finally realised that Italy need Jorginho, and for his sake, he and Azzurri fans everywhere should hope there’s still time for the Napoli star to make a difference.

A clash between Italy and Sweden will headline the 2018 FIFA World Cup UEFA qualifying playoffs after the two European powers were drawn against one another in Tuesday's second-round draw. 

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland play Switzerland, Croatia take on Greece and the Republic of Ireland will have to beat Denmark if they're to claim one of Europe's four remaining spots in next year's World Cup finals.

The FIFA World Cup Twitter account confirmed the results of Tuesday's draw:

European #WCQ play-offs@NorthernIreland 🆚 @SFV_ASF🇨🇭
🇭🇷@HNS_CFF 🆚 @EthnikiOmada 🇬🇷
🇩🇰@DBUfodbold 🆚@FAIreland 🇮🇪
🇸🇪Sweden🆚@azzurri 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/7pDzPTnIPT

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) October 17, 2017

The first-leg fixtures will be played between November 9-11, while the return trips will take place between November 12-14.

Switzerland, Italy, Croatia and Denmark entered the draw as the four highest-placed teams in the latest FIFA rankings, while Northern Ireland, Sweden, the Republic of Ireland and Greece made up the second pot.

Italy are by some distance the most decorated country still left in UEFA's qualification process, having won the World Cup on four occasions, the most recent of which came in 2006. The Azzurri have also finished as runners-up twice.

Northern Ireland have their work cut out for them as they attempt to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986, and a playoff clash against the highly ranked Switzerland doesn't bode well for their chances.

The Republic of Ireland have endured the second-longest wait of any team left in the mix, meanwhile, after failing to feature in the finals since 2002.

According to statistician Simon Gleave, manager Martin O'Neill's men stand the best opportunity to cause an upset in the playoffs:

UEFA's World Cup play-offs
Croatia v Greece
Denmark v Rep Ireland
Northern Ireland v Switzerland
Sweden v Italy

Croatia, Denmark, Switzerland & Italy are the favourites according to Gracenote's ranking. Croatia are the biggest favourites, tightest match is Denmark - Ireland

— Simon Gleave (@SimonGleave) October 17, 2017

Denmark were the only team in pot one who did not participate in the 2014 World Cup, while Greece stood out as the only team in pot two that did.

Italy and Switzerland will fancy their chances of progressing after finishing second to Spain and Portugal in their respective groups, although Sweden could present a tricky obstacle for the four-time world champions.

One might be tempted to think the Swedes are less of a threat following Zlatan Ibrahimovic's retirement from international football, but bookmakers Unibet recently provided evidence to the contrary:

Goals for Sweden in Ibrahimovic's last 30 games: 3⃣7⃣
Goals for Sweden in 15 games since he retired: 3⃣9⃣

😯

Dare to move on. ✅ pic.twitter.com/vRLtz7xv93

— Unibet (@unibet) October 11, 2017

Northern Ireland, Croatia, Denmark and Sweden will each host the first legs of their respective playoff encounters, meaning Switzerland, Greece, Republic of Ireland and Italy can look forward to ending on home soil.

Antonio Candreva netted in the second half to earn Italy a barely deserved 1-0 victory over Albania at the Loro Borici Stadium on Monday.

In their final group-stage qualifying clash for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the Azzurri dominated for long periods but carved out few decent chances, while Albania often looked dangerous on the break.

Candreva finally broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, driving home a crashing finish after being found in the box by Leonardo Spinazzola.

The narrow victory means Italy are now guaranteed to be seeded for their qualifying play-off after coming second to Spain in UEFA Group G.

Italy provided their lineup ahead of kick-off:

#AlbaniaItaly 🇦🇱🇮🇹

📋| Tonight's starting XI in Shkodër! #EuropeanQualifiers #VivoAzzurro #WC2018 pic.twitter.com/MLQBaczmXo

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) October 9, 2017

The Azzurri dominated possession in the opening half but could barely develop a decent chance.

Indeed, Albania had the better efforts in the first 45 minutes, Ledian Memushaj, Eros Grezda and Armando Sadiku all firing on Gianluigi Buffon's goal.

Ciro Immobile had the visitors' two chances before the break, but in truth, neither side went close to going ahead. 

The hosts started the second half in bright fashion, and Buffon was quickly forced into a save from Odise Roshi. 

The veteran Italian goalkeeper then had to produce a brilliant stop to keep out Grezda's stinging and swerving shot just after the hour.

With 17 minutes remaining, Italy finally put together a move of genuine quality. Spinazzola delivered a fine ball from the left and Candreva smashed home from six yards having escaped his marker. 

It was a huge relief for Italy but only a brilliantly timed goal-line clearance from Giorgio Chiellini five minutes later prevented Albania drawing level.

Italy then kept hold of possession as they ran down the clock, and Immobile almost scored a second in stoppage time as he broke into space with Albania pushing forward for an equaliser. 

Italy travel to Albania for the final game of UEFA Group G qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Monday safe in the knowledge they have secured second spot in the standings behind Spain.

The Italians will feature in the European play-offs for a World Cup finals berth, leaving the forthcoming match in Tirana potentially redundant.

Italy were poor in their previous encounter, failing to beat Macedonia in Turin as the teams drew 1-1.

Albania only have pride to play for, and they will be keen to finish their current campaign with victory.

Here is how you can watch the match:

             

Date: Monday, Oct. 9

Time: 7:45 p.m. (BST)/ 2:45 (ET)

TV: Sky Sports Red Button (UK), ESPN3 (U.S.)

Stream: Sky Go, WatchESPN

            

Preview

Macedonia's shock draw in Turin will have left Italian pride bruised, but the Azzurri desire a positive result in Albania.

Italy have secured second place, with the eight best group runners-up entering the play-offs for a spot at the World Cup in Russia.

The Italians have 20 points under their belt from nine games, and their name will be in the hat when the play-off draw is made on Oct. 17 in Zurich.

Albania will offer Italy credible opposition as they mentally prepare for their two-legged opportunity to reach the global tournament.

Macedonia proved the Italians do not have the substance and fortitude of previous teams, but the current generation of players have a point to prove in the coming weeks.

The Albanians were expected to put together a strong claim for second in the group, but four defeats and a draw saw their aspirations evaporate. Italy have proved to be a distance behind Spain's quality, leaving their only chance of going through as play-off winners.

Albania have scored just 10 goals in the qualifiers—half of Italy's haul—but they will be prepared to face a potentially weakened side as the visitors rotate.

Italy manager Gian Piero Ventura remained calm ahead of the double header against Macedonia and Albania, and pointed out his team only have one primary focus because of the standings.

Per Ben Gladwell of ESPN.co.uk, Ventura explained his thinking:

"We have already qualified for the play-offs. Now we'll get ready to play them."

"These two games [against Macedonia and in Albania on Monday] are there to be won, as always, but I don't expect anything special in view of the play-offs because we knew that we might have to go through the play-offs, considering we were in a group with Spain."

"We're looking forward to them."

It will be no shock if Italy cannot find their verve on Monday, handing victory to the hosts as they think about future battles.

Italy can guarantee themselves second place in Group G and a berth in the qualification play-offs for the 2018 FIFA World Cup by earning just a point at home to Macedonia on Friday. 

A convincing victory for the Azzurri will likely be demanded by manager Gian Piero Ventura to keep faint hopes alive of overhauling Spain in top spot.

However, La Roja are unlikely to concede the three points and numerous goals necessary in their final group games against Albania and Israel. 

Here are the current group standings ahead of the final matches of qualifying, per FIFA World Cup:

#WCQ | Group G (EUROPE)
🇲🇰FYR Macedonia 1-1 Albania🇦🇱
🇮🇹Italy 1-0 Israel🇮🇱
🇱🇮Liechtenstein 0-8 Spain🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/YycPhVq0Qa

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) September 5, 2017

Read on for a preview of Italy's clash with Macedonia, along with scheduling and viewing details.

            

Date: Friday, October 6

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST, 2:45 p.m. ET

TV Info: Sky Sports Red Button (UK), FS2 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go, Fox Sports Go

            

Preview

All Italy can do in their final two qualifying group matches against Macedonia and Albania is win well and put in a pair of fine performances.

In the last round of qualifying matches back in September the Italian side followed a 3-0 defeat to Spain—which effectively ended their chances of automatic qualification to next year's tournament in Russia—with an underwhelming 1-0 home victory over Israel.

In the reverse fixture between Italy and Macedonia in Skopje almost exactly a year ago a late Ciro Immobile double saw the Azzurri to a 3-2 comeback victory.

The Lazio striker will be crucial again on Thursday as Italy look to pick up all three points at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

Immobile is in flying form for his club side, per Squawka:

Ciro Immobile has now scored 13 goals in 10 games across all competitions for Lazio this season.

Another penalty tucked away. pic.twitter.com/IvBogivG5w

— Squawka (@Squawka) October 1, 2017

Macedonia will likely sit deep and look to soak up Italian pressure, but the hosts should have more than enough to breach any rearguard action.

If Immobile and his fellow attackers can break the deadlock early Italy will be in with a good chance of claiming the heavy victory they will likely want.

After the defeat to Spain and the disappointing nature of the Israel victory, a confidence-boosting rout of Macedonia could be invaluable.

During the current qualifying campaign the Azzurri have beaten only Lichtenstein by more than two goals.

Given their stature in the game the Italians need to be putting away smaller teams with greater ease.

Macedonia are ranked No. 103 in the world, with Italy No. 17, per FIFA. Anything other than a convincing win for the hosts on Friday will be counted a disappointment. 

Italy bounced back from their recent drubbing by Spain with a 1-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Israel at the Mapei Stadium on Tuesday, although the performance was not the most convincing.

A frustrating opening 45 minutes for the Azzurri saw them control possession but create few genuine chances, while Israel occasionally threatened on the break. 

In an improved second-half performance from the hosts, Ciro Immobile broke the deadlock with a fine header soon after the break for what proved to be the only goal of the game. 

The win moves Italy closer to securing a play-off place in qualification for next year's Russia tournament, while they retain slim hopes of an automatic berth. 

Italy manager Gian Piero Ventura opted to deploy the same 4-2-4 formation that was ruthlessly exposed in the 3-0 defeat to Spain:

❗📋 | Here's tonight's #Azzurri XI! #ItalyIsrael 🇮🇹🇮🇱 #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro #EuropeanQualifiers pic.twitter.com/sMG8awmQDJ

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) September 5, 2017

The hosts almost made the perfect start as Andrea Belotti was presented with a scoring opportunity inside 40 seconds.

Matteo Darmian fed the Torino striker in space on the edge of the box after a fine move down the left, but Belotti could only drag his effort wide when he should at least have hit the target.

Half-chances followed for Italy in the opening half but the best opportunities of the first 45 minutes actually fell to Israel.

Almog Cohen was the visitors' greatest threat. He forced a smart save from Gianluigi Buffon soon before half-time and then drove the ball into the back of the net from an offside position moments later.

Italy showed much greater intent from the start of the second half and a perfectly lofted ball from the right by Antonio Candreva was emphatically headed home from five yards at the far post by Immobile in the 53rd minute.

Further excellent attempts came from Belotti and Candreva, the former a bullet header and latter a low shot, but both were brilliantly kept out by Israel goalkeeper Ariel Harush.

It meant there was always the danger Italy could be pegged back and drop more points, and Tal Ben Chaim went close with a couple of decent efforts late on.

In truth, it would have been harsh on Italy to not gain all three points, but the unconvincing nature of the victory highlights an ongoing need for the Azzurri to be more clinical. 

Italy continue their World Cup Qualifying campaign on Tuesday with Israel the visitors to the Mapei Stadium.

The hosts go into the game aiming to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat to Spain at the Santiago Bernabeu, which dealt a big blow to their hopes of automatic qualification.

That result leaves Italy in second place in the group, three points behind leaders Spain with just three games left to play.

Meanwhile, Tuesday's visitors Israel have lost their last three qualifiers and were well beaten in the reverse fixture, losing 3-1 at the Haifa International Stadium last September.

           

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 5

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/ 2:45 p.m. ET

TV: Sky Sports Football (UK only), Fox Sports 1 USA (U.S. only)

Stream: Sky Go, Fox Sports GO, Fox Deportes, fubo.tv

             

Preview

Italy look as though they will need to qualify for the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia through the play-offs after slipping three points behind Spain.

The eight best runners-up enter the play-off and with five wins from seven qualifiers, Italy are well-placed.

OptaPaolo also illustrated how strong their form had been, prior to the Spain defeat:

33 - Italy have lost a World Cup Qualifiers match after they had gone unbeaten over the previous 33 (W23 D10). Stop. #SpainItaly

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) September 2, 2017

Coach Gian Piero Ventura may look to change formation after starting with a 4-2-4 system against Spain.

However, his side were comfortably overrun in midfield, although Ventura defended his tactics after the game, per PA Sport (h/t ESPN FC).

Italy will again be without defender Giorgio Chiellini after he was ruled out with an ankle problem and subsequently returned to Juventus for treatment, per Joe Wright at Goal.

Leonardo Bonucci will also be missing due to suspension after being booked against Spain, while Leonardo Spinazzola picked up an injury, per Football Italia.

Italy will therefore be without their first-choice centre-back pairing and have also confirmed they have called up new Chelsea signing Davide Zappacosta as cover:

📋 | Davide #Zappacosta has been called up to the squad for the Israel match. He'll be available for training in the afternoon.#Azzurri pic.twitter.com/L8xqgJ6biP

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) September 3, 2017

The hosts will surely look to Torino striker Andrea Belotti for goals against an Israel side who have conceded 13 in seven qualifiers.

Although Belotti could not find the net against Spain he forced David De Gea into a good save with a strong header, and his work rate in particular impressed football writer Tom McDermott:

https://twitter.com/MrTomMcDermott/status/904055554271793152

Israel, meanwhile, were beaten 1-0 at home by FYR Macedonia last time out and have not won a qualifier since October's 2-1 win over Liechtenstein.

Their current form, coupled with the fact they are away from home against an Italy side hurt by defeat to Spain, means their chances of getting anything out of Tuesday's game look slim.

Prediction: Italy 2-0 Israel

Italy will face Germany in Group C of the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship on Saturday. The latter are already in the semi-finals after two comprehensive wins to start the tournament.

Germany are loaded with quality in attacking areas, where Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry and Schalke 04 playmaker Max Meyer can boss the final third. It will be up to manager Horst Hrubesch to decide how many of his key players he wants to rest with qualification already assured.

It's a different story for Italy, but the Azzurri are similarly blessed in the forward positions, where attacking midfielders Lorenzo Pellegrini and Manuel Locatelli, along with winger Federico Bernardeschi, can unlock any defence.

Before a preview and prediction, here are the schedule and viewing details:

Date: Saturday, June 24

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST. 2:45 p.m. ET.

TV Info: Sky Sports 1. ESPN 3.

Live Stream:  Sky Go. WatchESPN.

Preview

Germany have been irresistible so far, hitting five goals in wins over the Czech Republic and Denmark. Their free-scoring dominance has been inspired by technique and intelligence in midfield.

Meyer has pulled the strings with vision and flair, while Mahmoud Dahoud's runs from deep have caused defences a host of problems.

Further forward, Gnabry's pace and perceptive movement have provided a foil for the midfield playmakers, while centre-forward Davie Selke's power has provided Die Mannschaft with a focal point.

Selke scored in the 3-0 win over Denmark on Wednesday, but Hrubesch can still call on SC Freiburg's Maximilian Philipp.

While Germany have taken their chances, Italy have struggled to capitalise on their talent up top. Bernardeschi and Sassuolo's Domenico Berardi have failed to shine, although the latter did score in Wednesday's 3-1 defeat to the Czech Republic.

The Azzurri will be keen to salvage some pride and may fancy their chances if Germany rest players. However, Hrubesch's squad is still loaded enough for Die Mannschaft to win again.

Prediction: Italy 1-2 Germany