Switzerland hosts Italy in round 5 of the World Cup qualification. The match will be played on Sunday, September 5th at St. Jakob-Park (Basel)
Switzerland is in the 2nd place in the standings with six points after two rounds. The Swiss team has successfully started the qualification cycle with the head coach Vladimir Petkovic. In two starting matches, the Red Crosses beat Bulgaria away (1-3) and Lithuania at home (1-0). After a successful performance at Euro 2020, where the Swiss were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Spain (1-1 and 1-3 on penalties), Petkovic left the national team and moved to Bordeaux. The post of head coach went to the former head coach of Basel and Spartak Moscow, Murat Yakin. Yakin's debut in the Swiss national team took place in a friendly home match against Greece (2-1). The result was provided to the hosts by midfielder Steven Zuber, who scored himself and gave an effective pass to Ruben Vargas.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Italy is ranked first in Group C with ten points after four matches. The Italian team started the current qualification with three victories in a row. Squadra Azzurra coped with Northern Ireland at home (2-0) and then scored six points in away matches against Bulgaria (0-2) and Lithuania (0-2). On September 2, the Italians played their 1st match after their triumph at the European Championship. At home, Mancini's footballers tied against the Bulgarian national team (1-1). The teams exchanged goals in the 1st half. Federico Chiesa scored an early goal for the hosts, while Atanas Iliev scored for the Bulgarians. Squadra Azzurra failed to win, although it had an overwhelming advantage in possession (71% -29%), shots on goal (26-4), and corners (10-0). The draw in Florence extended Italy's unbeaten streak to 35 matches. The Blues repeated the records of the national teams of Brazil (1993-1996) and Spain (2007-2009). To surpass them, Squadra Azzurra must not lose in Basel.
The Italians will be motivated after losing points at home. Mancini's team has no right to be defeated by the Swiss, who are now ahead of the Blues in terms of lost points. If Italy loses to the Red Crosses, it runs the risk of complicating the struggle for leadership in the group at the finish of the qualifying round. The challenge for the European champions is partly made easier by the problems of Switzerland. The squad has recently received a new head coach, and he will not be able to count on several important players. This will help the Italians' attack, which will seek to repeat the result of the game at Euro 2020. In the current qualification, the Italians did not score two goals against the Bulgarians, who conceded only one goal due to great luck.
Prediction for the match: Italy to score over 1.5 goals
