Israel take on the visitors Italy in a World Cup 2026 qualification match. The match will be played on Monday, September 8th at Nagyerdei Stadion (Debrecen).
Israel had a real chance to finally qualify for a major tournament in the previous cycle. However, they failed to even secure second place in a fairly manageable qualifying group and then fell at the first playoff hurdle. They did show glimpses of potential in the Nations League, where their debut in Division A was relatively decent, finishing level on points with Belgium, though ultimately ending up fourth. In 2025 they entered qualification from March, and Ben Shimon’s men have been performing as expected: two wins against Estonia (and a friendly success against Slovakia), but also a costly 2-4 home defeat to Norway. In the last round, they comfortably beat Moldova 4-0 away. Israel have now won three of their last four matches, scoring 11 goals in that span, which highlights their attacking power. At the same time, their defense looks shaky, having conceded multiple goals in three of their last five competitive fixtures.
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Italy are beginning a new chapter, but without high expectations. The “Squadra Azzurra” seemed revitalized under Mancini, even winning Euro 2020. Yet under his guidance they also failed to qualify for a World Cup — for the second time in a row. Spalletti managed to take them to last year’s continental tournament, reaching the playoffs, and in the Nations League they looked competitive, beating France and finishing second in their group, while narrowly losing to Germany across two legs (1-2 and 3-3). But their qualifying campaign started with a heavy 0-3 defeat in Norway, which led to the coach’s dismissal. A 2-0 win over Moldova came without him, before Gattuso was surprisingly appointed after both Pioli and Ranieri declined the role. In his debut, against Estonia, Italy struggled for nearly an hour before finally breaking through, eventually cruising to a 5-0 victory. Italy have now scored seven goals without reply in their last two fixtures, suggesting Gattuso has injected some energy. However, their vulnerability against top-level opposition in recent years still raises doubts about their long-term stability.
In seven meetings between the sides, Israel have only managed one draw, all the way back at the 1970 World Cup. Italy have won every other match against the “Squadra Azzurra.” The nominal visitors are clearly the stronger side. We back Italy to win with a -1 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Italy to win with -1.0 handicap.
