Luciano Spalletti bows out of his post in charge of the Italian national team with a visit from Moldova on Monday evening.
The Azzurri suffered a hefty 3–0 defeat to Norway in their opening match which cost Spalletti his job. The reverse has already left Italy playing catch-up to their Scandinavian foes after conceding three first-half strikes and extending their winless run to four matches.
Italy should have no issues brushing Moldova aside, though. They demolished the European minnows the last time they crossed paths, winning 6–0 in an international friendly in 2020. FIFA’s 154th-ranked country have lost both their qualifiers to date, conceding eight across defeats to Norway and Estonia.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the clash.
What Time Does Italy vs. Moldova Kick-Off?
- Location: Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Stadium: MAPEI Stadium - Città del Tricolore
- Date: Monday, 9 June
- Kick-off Time: 19:45 BST / 14:45 ET / 11:45 PT
- Referee: Urs Schnyder (SUI)
- VAR: Lionel Tschudi (SUI)
Italy vs. Moldova Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Italy: 5 wins
- Moldova: 0 wins
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: Italy 6–0 Moldova (Oct. 7, 2020) – Friendly
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Italy vs. Moldova on TV
Italy Team News
Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori, Moise Kean and Manuel Locatelli are among the absentees in the Italy squad but fitness issues can be no excuse for a dire performance against Norway. Spalletti will likely make changes to the team that was dismantled last week.
Davide Frattesi looks certain to come into the starting lineup after helping steady the ship as a half-time substitute in Oslo, while Luca Ranieri could replace Diego Coppola as part of the central defensive three.
Italy Predicted Lineup vs. Moldova
Italy predicted lineup vs. Moldova (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Ranieri, Bastoni; Cambiaso, Barella, Frattesi, Tonali, Udogie; Raspadori, Retegui.
Moldova Team News
Maxim Cojocaru will be missing for Moldova as he’s suspended following a red card in the 3–2 defeat to Estonia back in March, while there could be a number of changes elsewhere from the recent friendly defeat to Poland.
Moldova will be relying on the attacking invention of Hererenveen striker Ion Nicolaescu—the country’s top goalscorer with 17—against the Azzurri as they look to leave Italy with a surprise consolation to their name.
Moldova Predicted Lineup vs. Italy
Moldova predicted lineup vs. Italy (5-4-1): Celeadnic; Platica, Posmac, Baboglo, Mudrac, Reabciuk; Caimacov, Moțpan, Rața, Ionița; Nicolaescu
Italy vs. Moldova Score Prediction
Spalletti’s impending departure will undoubtedly dominate proceedings. “I love this shirt, this job and the players I’ve coached,” the outgoing Italian said in his pre-match press conference, which also served as the stage to announce his own dismissal. “Tomorrow night I’ll ask them to demonstrate what I asked even if I haven’t been able to get them to express their best.”
The tumult behind the scenes naturally puts Italy at a disadvantage, but there is such a yawning chasm down to Moldova that the hosts should prevail regardless.
Prediction: Italy 4–0 Moldova
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Italy vs. Moldova: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
