Italy hosts Bulgaria in round 4 of the World Cup qualification. The match will be played on Thursday, September 2nd at Stadio Artemio Franchi (Florence)
Italy leads the standings of Group C with nine points after three games. The Blues beat Northern Ireland at home (2-0) and dealt with Bulgaria (0-2) and Lithuania (0-2) away. This summer the Italians won the European title for the first time since 1968. Squadra Azzurra passed the tournament without defeats, and they were stronger than England in the decisive match at Wembley in the penalty shootout (1-1 and 3-2 on pen.). That victory extended the Italians' unbeaten streak in official matches to 34 games in a row. On August 27, Mancini's coaching staff decided on the roster for the next qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup. Due to injuries, three players will not help their national team — defender Leonardo Spinazzola, midfielder Manuel Lazzari, and striker Andrea Belotti.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Bulgaria is in 4th position in Group C (one point after three matches). The Lions lost at home to Switzerland (1-3) and Italy (0-2) and then gained an away draw against Northern Ireland (0-0). The Bulgarians are currently far from the legendary team that shone in the 90s in terms of level and status. Since January 2020, the team has gained only one victory in games. The only triumph fell on a friendly home match against Gibraltar (3-0). The Bulgarians did not make it to the Euro but held three test matches in June. The Lions tied against the Slovaks (1-1), lost to Russia minimally (0-1), and lost to France with a large score (0-3). On August 23, the coaching staff of the Bulgarian national team decided on the list of players who will prepare for the matches in September. Experienced defenders Petar Zanev and Strahil Popov, as well as midfielder Bozhidar Kraev, were not included in the roster.
The outcome of the confrontation in Florence is almost beyond doubt. The reigning European champions are too strong for the Bulgarian national team, which is going through hard times. It will be difficult for Petrov's footballers to even count on a draw, since the Blues look very powerful at home. The last time Italians lost points at home was almost a year ago, when they tied against the Netherlands in the Nations League (1-1). Despite the obvious difference in class, the Italians are unlikely to destroy the Lions. Mancini's team pragmatically takes any opponent, so no more than 2-3 goals are scored in every match of Italy. This performance has been observed in all games in the current qualification and at Euro 2020.
Prediction for the match: 2-3 goals to be scored
