Italy vs Poland
It’s time for a change for both Italy and Poland, and the two nations made that clear when they hired new managers after what could be said as a disastrous 2018.
Italy are now under Roberto Mancini, who took the reins last May to replace the sacked Gian Piero Ventura. The 53-year-old Italian manager led Manchester City to their first title in 44 years back in 2012, so hopes are high that he can replicate that success with the Azzurri as they aim to return to relevance.
Meanwhile, Jerzy Brzeczek took over Poland in the wake of the team’s embarrassing exit in the World Cup. The former Poland skipper knows what he needs to do after the disappointment of Adam Nawalka, and the pressure is certainly on him to deliver.
The UEFA Nations League is the first test for Italy and Poland in their quest to return to their former glory. And they are undoubtedly determined to kick off its inaugural season on a winning note when they face each other this week.
Talking Points
If there is one thing that Italy and new boss Mancini are not lacking, it is confidence.
The Azzurri may have failed to reach the World Cup 2018 in Russia, but they now appear ready to move on from one of the ugliest moments in their nation’s history and spark a new era of Italian football.
As reported in the latest UEFA Nations League 2018 news, Mancini claimed that his team is not only capable of topping their group but also winning it all and becoming the tournament’s first-ever champions.
“We are Italy, we have to play well, I am confident, I think there are good players in our side,” the 53-year-old Italian manager said on their chances in the Nations League.
“There are only three or four players in the world who win the games on their own, I think our players can do well.”
While Mancini’s words may be taken with a grain of salt, his confidence surely isn’t mere blabbering. After all, he has a deep and talented roster that only needs proper utilisation.
The former Manchester City and Inter Milan boss has named a 31-man squad for the competition, headlined by Nice striker Mario Balotelli, Torino forward Andrea Belotti and Lazio frontman Ciro Immobile.
Juventus defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are back to anchor the Italy backline as well, with AC Milan keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma getting the No.1 shirt and taking over the post between the sticks after the legendary Gigi Buffon.
With such strong and experienced players in all fonts, Mancini knows very well that they have what it takes to get back up and rebuild quickly.
Poland, on the other hand, still have to sort things out with their new boss Brzeczek. The 47-year-old boss took the national head coaching duty less than three months ago, and that’s not enough time to familiarise the players with the football that he wants to play.
Fortunately for Brzeczek, he has several experienced players he can use for the game against Italy. While he named some fresh faces to his squad for the tournament, 14 of his 27-man line-up were part of the recent World Cup.
Robert Lewandowski remains the leader up front for the team; and after his disappointing performance in Russia, he is eager to prove that he still has enough gas left in his tank to fire the Polish team to glory.
There are also the likes of Lukasz Fabianski, Wojciech Szczesny, Jan Bednarek, Kamil Glik, Rafal Kurzawa, and Piotr Zielinski who offer enough quality in all areas—something that should allow Brzeczek to compete well in his first game in charge.
History
The Nations League is a new competition organised by UEFA to replace international friendlies. It divides the 55 member associations to four leagues based on their UEFA coefficient rankings.
Italy and Poland are both in League A—the top-tier of the Nations League—and are drawn in Group A3 along with reigning European Champions Portugal. Both the Italians and the Poles will have high hopes in the competition though, especially with the fact that it offers a route to the Euro 2020.
The two teams are well matched in their past five meetings, winning twice each and drawing the other. For what it’s worth, Italy have won their last match-up—a 0-2 friendly victory at the Stadion Miejski in Wroclaw in 2011.
Interestingly, Italy have also never lost against Poland in a home game. The Azzurri hold a 3-2-0 win-draw-loss record against the Poles in their games played on their turf.
Betting Tip
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Italy vs Poland | Italy Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.04 |
| September 08, 02:45 (GMT+8) |
Home-court advantage and a bit of familiarity count for something for Italy. They are the favourites to win their opener at SBOBET, with the UEFA Nations League 2018 betting odds placing them well ahead of Poland.
As mentioned, Poland have never beaten them in a home game. And while the Poles have a world-class striker in Lewandowski, it remains to be seen how he and the team will adjust to the style of Brzeczek. That’s never easy, after all.
Italy, meanwhile, have already played three friendlies under Mancini. Sure, they only won one game in those fixtures, but that should be beneficial for them in a competitive match like this one.
With that said, I predict the Azzurri to dominate the game, though I don’t expect a high-scoring affair.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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