Italy vs Spain to Kick Off Weekend of World Cup Qualifiers
Published October 6, 2016 by Sol FH
The World Cup Qualifiers are live with bet365 and pre-match odds have Spain as outright favorites. Find out at 19:45 GMT.
Tonight is the launch of the first of six days of World Cup Qualifiers and there couldn't be a more anticipated match to kick things off. In total, there are nine matches to be played tonight including: Group D - Republic of Ireland vs Georgia, Austria vs Wales, Moldova vs Serbia; Group G - FYR Macedonia vs Israel, Liechtenstein vs Albania and Group I - featuring Turkey vs Ukraine, Iceland vs Finland and Kosovo vs Croatia. All international eyes will be on Italy vs Spain however, as this game could easily be a reasonable final at any World Cup.
The rivalry between Italy and Spain is well-known and it is funny, but both teams share a lot in common, especially in the wins category. The Italians, at home tonight, have never lost a World Cup Qualifier while playing in Italy. In fact, they haven't lost a competitive game at home since 1999 when they lost to Denmark. The Spaniards have not lost a World Cup or a Euro qualifier at all since 1993, and that came at the hands of Denmark too (weird). We must remember though that it was Italy that beat Spain in the Round of 16 at this year's Euro's, and they did draw 1-1 in a friendly match back in March.
The Azzurri and La Furia Roja are two of the best and most highly skilled teams on the face of the planet and this game will get exciting quickly. The question is, who will win?
Prediction
The match could very well end with either team walking away with the win, but it should be Italy, the home team that wins this one 3-2. The Azzurri are too strong in their own backyard, but Spain will be able to score a couple goals in the process.
World Cup Qualifiers Odds
Outright, bet365 Sports has given the advantage to Spain at 2.70, while Italy are at 3.20 and a draw at 2.90. There are dozens of markets to choose from and attractive odds when making Correct Score bets. bet365 will also be offering live in play odds throughout all of the World Cup Qualifiers.
