Spain vs. Italy: UEFA Nations League live stream, TV channel, how to watch online, start time, team news, odds
The two sides meet for the second semifinal of the final four
It's all ready for the 2023 edition of the UEFA Nations League final four. In addition to Roberto Mancini's Italy, Croatia, Spain and Netherlands are competing for the trophy. On Wednesday, Croatia eliminated the Netherlands 4-2. The competition is also relevant in terms of the 2024 Euro qualifications: three of the 24 spots will be determined by play-offs through the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League: the group winners of Leagues A, B and C, but if they have already qualified, they will be replaced by the next best-placed team in their League. The winning team of this semifinal will face the winner of the other Croatia on Sunday, June 18. Here's what you need to know:
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What to know
- Italy have won only one of their last ten matches against Spain: a 2-0 success, on June 27, 2016, in the round of 16 of the 2016 Euro, with Antonio Conte as coach.
- Spain won their last match against Italy, 2-1, on October 6, 2021, in the semifinal of the Nations League. Only once have La Roja achieved two successes in a row against the Azzurri, between 1971 and 1978 (two friendlies in that case).
- Italy could get to the Nations League final for the first time, while Spain have already played in the final in the previous edition when they lost 1-2, against France, on October 10, 2021.
- Among the teams in League A of this edition of the Nations League, no national team has recorded more clean sheets than Italy and Spain, both three, equal to Portugal and Hungary.
- Spain is the national team that has recorded the highest ball possession, 70.8%, in this edition of the Nations League; Italy instead had a ball possession of 42.3%.
- Mateo Retegui scored in both of his first two caps for Italy; the last player to score in all of his first three games for the Azzurri was Giorgio Chinaglia in 1972.
- No Italian player has scored more goals than Nicolò Barella under the management of Roberto Mancini, eight goals, on a par with Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti.
Prediction
Spain are in much better form despite the disappointing 2022 World Cup and should qualify for the final of the Nations League. Pick: Spain 2, Italy 1.
