There’s an intriguing clash in store on Thursday night when Spain go up against Italy. This is the battle of two European heavyweights, with the teams meeting in a repeat of the Euro 2020 semi-final where the teams played out a 1-1 draw at Wembley Stadium. The game ended up going to penalties, with the Italians winning before beating England in the same fashion.

Luciano Spalletti was excellent when helping Napoli to a recent Scudetto and he’s now been tasked with making the national team successful. They were unbeaten in six games coming into Euro 2024, with a 5-2 win over North Macedonia illustrating their attack-minded approach and there’s lots to like about Federico Chiesa.

Spain claimed seven wins from eight matches in qualifying and should pose a strong threat at this tournament, with Alvaro Morata not only captaining the side but leading the line. There’s Rodri in the midfield engine room, with Barcelona’s Pedri flanking him along with Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino.

Depending on the results from their opening Group B matches, it might be that both teams are relatively happy with a draw from this encounter, with a low-scoring clash potentially on the cards. Don’t rule out the possibility of the game ending goalless, although Spain are given the slight edge by the bookies and could be capable of nicking the win.

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