Both teams started their Euro 2024 campaigns with a win. Spain demolished Croatia 3:0, while Italy beat Albania 2:1. Whose winning run will continue? Or maybe we’ll see them get a point each on Thursday? These are the questions we’ll try to answer in our Spain vs. Italy preview, so keep on reading!
Spain vs. Italy Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Spain | +114 |
| Draw | +225 |
| Italy | +260 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany
- Date: Thursday, June 20, 2024
- Time: 3:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: FOX
Spain Looking Really Good Right Now
Spain is fifth on the list of Euro 2024 favorites, but this team’s odds have shortened after the first round of the tournament. It’s because La Roja were brilliant against Croatia. They won the game 3:0, with all three goals scored in the first half.
In the second half, they did a great job managing the game, keeping the opposition far away from their goal. Croatians did get one very good opportunity to score after a blunder by Unai Simon, but he fixed his mistake by saving a penalty that came as a result of it.
In fact, Simon was one of the best players in that game, along with Pedri, Dani Carvajal, and Fabian Ruiz. Rodri, who’s widely considered the best holding midfielder on the planet, had a quiet game, but it’s only logical to assume he’s going to play a more important role for Spain in the remainder of the tournament.
Italy’s Defense is a Force to be Reckoned With
The defending champions started their 2024 Euro campaign by going down 1-0 to Albania in the first minute of the game. Their left-back Federico Dimarco gifted the ball to Albanians, which led to then Nedim Bajrami finding the net in the 23rd second of the match – the fastest goal ever to be scored at Euros.
After the mistake, Dimarco improved his game significantly and so did his teammates. His colleague from Italy’s defensive four, Alessandro Bastoni, was the one who scored the equalizer. The winner was the work of their colleague from Inter, Nicolo Barella.
Apart from the three Inter players, we also saw Bologna’s center-back Riccardo Calafiori and so did Napoli’s right-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo. Over in the final third, Juventus’s Federico Chiesa was a real pest with his dribbling, but Italy’s No. 9 Gianluca Scamacca did not look great. Atalanta’s goal-scoring machine had a quiet game before being replaced by Mateo Retegui from Genoa, who didn’t do much either.
Spain vs. Italy Prediction
Italy might be the team with the best defense at the Euro 2024. The problem for Luciano Spalletti’s team is that the rest of the field isn’t that great. Sure, their midfield is led by amazing Barella, but this guy’s reportedly struggling with fitness. But even if that wasn’t the case, Italians would struggle against Spain’s midfield, which is one of the best on the planet.
The Spaniards are also great offensively and their defense is fine as well. This is why we think they’re going to get themselves another three points on Thursday. It won’t be easy to find the net against Italy, but we think they will find a way.
Pick: Spain