Italy 2020 UEFA Euro Betting
The favorite to win Group A is Italy. The Azzurri are in a relatively manageable group with Turkey, Wales, and Switzerland, and they have a big advantage since all their games are at home. Whereas every other country has to play twice in Baku, Azerbaijan, all of Italy’s games will be at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. That gives Italy an incredible edge and makes them one of the overall favorites to win EURO 2020.
Italy Squad Profile
UEFA Euro Odds: +1110
Coach: Roberto Mancini
FIFA Ranking: 10
Best Finish: Champions (1968)
Group: A ( Turkey, Wales and Switzerland )
How They Got Here
Italy was one of the most dominant teams in European qualifying. They were one of two countries to win all of their games, posting a 10-0-0 record with 37 goals and only four goals allowed. The Azzurri had little trouble with Finland, Greece, or Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they ran up the score on minnows Armenia and Liechtenstein.
Team Preview
This is not the same Italy we have seen in the past. The Italians aren’t playing the defense-first football they were previously known for under new manager Roberto Mancini. Italy used to be known for playing low scoring matches, just as Serie A used to be known for low scoring games, but this year’s team will have a far greater focus on the attack.
Lazio striker Ciro Immobile will be one of the focal points. Immobile tallied 36 goals in 37 games for his club in 2019-20, and he has 103 goals in his first four seasons with Lazio.
Although he only has 12 goals with the national team despite being 31, that number will rise in the coming months.
Lorenzo Insigne and Andrea Belotti will see a lot of action too. Insigne currently has 15 goals in 27 matches with Napoli this season, but he isn’t as efficient as most of the top scorers in Serie A. Belotti has 12 goals in 27 games with Torino, and he has been more efficient.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the back line. Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini have a ton of experience. They both have over 100 caps with the Azzurri, and they have a rapport since they both play for Juventus. There is a lot of youth and inexperience aside from those two long-time fixtures though.
The X-Factor will be the midfield. Marco Verratti and Jorginho are the only two semi-experienced players on the international stage. Italy do boast some talented youngsters in Nicolo Zaniolo, Nicolo Barella, and Lorenzo Pellegrini though.
This will be the first major tournament in years that won’t see Gianluigi Buffon in net for Italy. The greatest goalkeeper of the 21st Century racked up 178 caps from 1997 to 2018 for the Azzurri, and he was dominant with Juventus in Serie A. Gianluigi Donnarumma is hoping to be the next great goalkeeper, but he has some huge shoes to fill.
Italy Schedule
GROUP STAGE
Friday June 11
Turkey vs. Italy (Rome; 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m.)
Wednesday June 16
Italy vs. Switzerland (Rome; 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m.)
Sunday June 20
Italy vs. Wales (Rome; noon ET, 6 p.m.)
Italy’s History at the European Championships
Italy has only won the European Championships once in its history. The Italians won the 1968 Euros, but it is one of the weakest international title wins you will find. The Azzurri advanced to the finals by result of a coin toss after playing a scoreless 120 minutes against the Soviet Union, and they needed a replay win over Yugoslavia to claim the title despite playing at home.
The national team failed to qualify for the Euros in four of the next six competitions. Italy did make it to the semifinals in their two appearances over that stretch though, and they have made it to the Euros for each of the last seven iterations of this tournament.
The Azzurri finished runner-up to France in 2000 after the French scored an extra time goal and then recorded a golden goal to get the win. It was a frustrating loss for Italy who never trailed until the very end.
Their runner-up finish to Spain in the 2012 Euros was a lot less competitive. Italy had advanced over England on penalties in the quarterfinals and Mario Balotelli recorded a brace in a 2-1 win against Germany in the semifinals. However, they were no match for Spain in the final with a 4-0 loss to the defending champions.
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