Italy Boasts a Strong Record Against Israel
There is no question that fans of the Azzurri are unhappy with the group standings, but things may not be as bad as they seem.
One reason for that is their history against Israel. While their recent match was decided in injury time, it was played in Hungary and made closer by a bizarre own goal from Alessandro Bastoni. When these teams meet next month, the match will be played in Italy, where we expect to see a cleaner performance from this desperate team.
Another reason to have faith is that the Azzurri have defeated Israel three times within the last year. The first two matches were not as close as the third, suggesting that the result won’t be repeated.
Sportsbooks Not Selling on Italy’s Chances
Still nervous about Italy’s national team? We suggest taking some time to visit some sports betting sites, as you will see many still have the Azzurri in the running to win the group.
Italy trails a very sharp Norway team by six points, but has a match against them remaining in November. If Norway stumbles before then and Italy can win, the door to win the group would be wide open.
Italy is not the Only European Power in Trouble
Italy’s infamous World Cup streak makes their current play a big story, but they aren’t the only former European power to be in danger of missing the tournament.
Germany, which won the 2014 World Cup, currently sits third in its qualifying group. A loss to Slovakia to open things up put them behind, and an ugly win against Northern Ireland didn’t fill us with faith in this squad. While this team remains far better than the two teams ahead of them, Slovakia and Northern Ireland, they will need to show it this fall.
Belgium has also made its fans nervous early in qualifying. While they are just one point behind the group leader, North Macedonia. Given the team’s poor international play of late, there is a growing concern that they may not be able to win what was meant to be an easy group.
