Italy were favourites to beat Spain on 6 October 2021 when the two teams lined up in the Nations League semi-final encounter at the San Siro Stadium. However, two goals from Ferran Torres ensured that it was La Roja who went through to the final. The sides will now clash in Enschede, with the Spanish favourites to overcome Italy and claim a second successive final appearance.
Spain come into this match off the back of losing their previous game when suffering a surprise 2-0 defeat away to Scotland, with the team having huffed and puffed against Morocco in the 2022 World Cup before eventually being beaten on penalties and there’s always a feeling that the team have a weak underbelly against more spirited opponents.
Italy kept faith with Roberto Mancini despite an inability to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, with the manager under pressure to steer the Azzurri to next summer’s Euro 2024 finals. A 2-1 recent home defeat against England means this is far from certain right now, with Italy having already lost an international friendly at Austria in November.
However, this is an opportunity to restore some pride in the national team and the squad is typically packed with quality international players. The majority of the outfit operate for top Italian teams and perhaps we will see Giacomo Raspadori come to the fore after helping Napoli achieve an unlikely Scudetto this season.