The first leg of the quarter-final between Germany and Italy a few days ago certainly did not disappoint. We were treated to goals, excitement and even a win from behind. But nothing is yet decided as there are still 90 minutes to play and as we previously witnessed – the margins between these two teams are slim with victory being possible for either on a good day.
Germany Team News
Die Mannschaft achieved their goal in the first leg – to secure an advantage or at the very least not incur a loss. With a 1-2 win from the first game, Julian Nagelsman’s team is in the driving seat ahead of the rematch at Dortmund. Not only did Germany continue their string of good performances under Nagelsman, but they also recorded an away victory over Italy for the first time since 1986. Having achieved something like that is sure to give Die Mannschaft even more confidence ahead of the second leg and for Germany, on top of their already impressive UNL stats. Speaking of them – Nagelsman’s men have won all 3 of their home fixtures in this edition of the tournament, scoring a total of 13 goals without conceding a single one in return!
Italy Team News
Italy’s unfortunate trend against Germany continued in full force during the first leg, but there are still a full 90 minutes left of football to be played with chances of progression still being alive. However, there is no denying that Luciano Spalletti’s men have been vulnerable in recent games as Squadra Azzurra has lost its 2 most recent fixtures and won just 2 of its last 5 matches. What is sure to lighten up the mood in the Italy camp is the fact that the Azzurri have won all of their away fixtures in this edition of the UNL. Most notably, 2 of those victories came against the likes of France and Belgium. But to take something from Germany in Dortmund would require that the Squadra vastly improve their set-piece defending as this is a key area that Spalletti has acknowledged as a weakness in his team.
Head-to-Head-Games
Germany’s victory in the first leg has extended their strong head-to-head record against Italy, with Die Mannschaft’s last defeat to Italy occurring back in Euro 2012. Additionally, the trend of both teams scoring has persisted, as only one out of the last seven matches between them has not seen goals from both sides.
Germany – Italy Betting Prediction
I expect a win for Germany here. Their home form in the UNL has been impeccable with Die Mannschaft not even conceding a single goal. H2H stats also favour Germany against Italy as Squadra Azzurra has lost its last 2 trips to German soil on top of failing to secure a win over Die Mannschaft since Euro 2012.
What I certainly do not expect is an easy game for Julian Nagelsman and his side. Despite the 1-2 loss, Italy has proven it can get results on the road as evidenced by their perfect away record in this edition of the UNL with victories over other heavy hitters like France and Belgium.
Betting Tip: Germany To Win
Bookmaker: Sportsbet.io
Odds: 1.88
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