Italy are just one win away from a perfect UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign and will get the chance to complete their run against Armenia on Monday.
Caesars have named the Italians -725 favourites (wager $725 to win $100), while Armenia check in at +1,800. A draw carries odds of +740.
The Azzurri won the away meeting 3-1 in Yerevan and are in a great position to complete the job in Palermo. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET, and fans can tune in via Sky Sports (UK) and ESPN+ (U.S.).
Here are the highlights from the first meeting between these teams:
The Azzurri have played their best-ever qualifying campaign, and manager Roberto Mancini has not been afraid to hand plenty of minutes to his younger and less experienced players.
Sandro Tonali was one of the standouts in the 3-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, while Gaetano Castrovilli and Pierluigi Gollini made late cameos in what was a joyous affair.
The same could be in store for Monday's match, although the unbeaten record will be the priority. Italy have built a tremendous amount of momentum during this run, and a strong finish could set up the team for success at the tournament.
AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma told Rai Sport he believes the Azzurri are capable of great things (h/t Football Italia):
Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne flanked Andrea Belotti in attack against Bosnia, and it would not be a surprise if all three started on the bench against Armenia. In Federico Chiesa, Stephan El Shaarawy and Ciro Immobile, Mancini has depth to call on, and he hasn't been afraid to rotate in previous double-headers.
The strength of this team lies in midfield, however, where Tonali, Nicolo Zaniolo and Nicolo Barella could be the spine of the side for years to come. Rolando Mandragora could see some playing time against Armenia, adding to the wealth of young options.
The visitors' squad doesn't boast nearly as much talent, and their best player, Roma's Henrikh Mkhitaryan, has not been called up because of injury.
Aleksandre Karapetian has three goals during this qualifying campaign and netted against the Italians in the first meeting, but he was also sent off, and his dismissal was a turning point in the match. The Sochi forward will be extra motivated to make up for his indiscretion and ruin Italy's bid for perfection.
Prediction: Italy 2-0 Armenia
Read 0 Comments
Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation