Italy returned to Coverciano after a 2-2 draw against Belgium, a match that left a lot of regret for the Azzurri given their performance in the first 40 minutes. Cambiaso's goal after just 60 seconds, Retegui's second goal, and a dominant Italian team on the field at the Olimpico. Then came Pellegrini’s naive red card, leaving the team down to ten men for the entire second half. The game changed after that moment, but the responses from the team were encouraging. Luciano Spalletti's side has collected seven points so far, with the chance to hold onto first place in their second Nations League match during this break.
Tomorrow in Udine, Italy will face Israel, who are coming off a 1-4 home defeat against France. The Azzurri are in great form: there’s enthusiasm, a young squad eager to move past the disappointment of the last European Championship in Germany, and a burning desire to return to the World Cup, having missed the last two editions (their last appearance being in 2014).
Italy and Israel will meet for the seventh time. In addition to Italy's 2-1 win in Israel on September 9th, the Azzurri boast four other wins and one draw. That draw dates back to the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, with the match ending 0-0. In World Cup Qualifiers, Italy has won all four meetings, scoring 13 goals and conceding just 3. Interestingly, the first Italy-Israel match took place around this time: on October 15, 1961, Italy won 4-2 in Israel.
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The Nations League is crucial because finishing first means being seeded for the World Cup qualifying group stage draws, something Italy desperately needs. The match against Israel shouldn’t be underestimated, so the same attitude displayed against Belgium will be required. Three points are essential to retain first place at least until the November break.
The plan is to stick with the same starting lineup from Thursday’s match. The only forced change is Pellegrini’s replacement, with Raspadori expected to start in his place. Over the past few days at Coverciano, Italy has been preparing thoroughly for Monday’s match, and will head to Udine aiming to deliver another top-level performance at the Bluenergy Stadium.
