Italy Vs Spain Betting Tip: Both To Score – 6 July 2021

La Roja can induce more goal-laden drama

Alvaro Morata / Spain ©IMAGO / Agencia EFE 07/05/2021

Italy Italy Vs Spain Spain

Tuesday 6 July, 2021 – 20:00
UEFA Euro 2020 – Semi-Final
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: 10/11
Bookmaker: Betway
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 5 July 2021)

Preview: For the fourth consecutive tournament, Italy and Spain do battle in the knockout rounds of a European Championship. After losing the first two, Italy finally emerged victorious at the third time of asking in 2016 and begin this latest duel as favourites at Wembley.

UEFA Euro 2020 at Betfair

 

Italy – Insigne can continue hot streak?

The Italians are into a 12th European Championship semi-final after eliminating number one ranked side Belgium in the last eight. Nicolo Barella opened his account for the tournament with a wonderful solo effort while Lorenzo Insigne is renowned for striking the ball exceedingly well from distance, doing just that for the second, before Romelu Lukaku halved the deficit moments before the half-time interval.

Italy held out for the entirety of the second period but not without one or two anxious moments. Then there were those antics, the ‘theatrics’ as we call them, which earned the scorn of many observers. However, with the Azzurri scoring first in all five matches so far, going on to win them all, we can probably expect more of the same should Roberto Mancini’s men strike first at Wembley.

Losing full-back Leonardo Spinazzola to a serious injury is naturally a blow, depriving them of the sort of aggressive, marauding runs that have helped create space for Lorenzo Insigne to operate in. The latter has contributed 13 goals (6 goals, 7 assists) in his last 15 appearances for the national team and is attractively priced in the To Score (11/4) and To Assist Anytime (9/2) markets with PaddyPower.

 

Draw & Both Teams to Score
7/2

Betfair

 

Spain – The tournament’s great entertainers?

Despite their underlying numbers ranking top of those left in the competition, Spain have made hard work of reaching the semi-finals – their third in the last four editions of the European Championship, going on to lift the trophy the last two times in 2008 and 2012. Luis Enrique’s have also been out on the pitch the longest, after seeing their round of 16 and quarter-final ties make it to extra-time.

Spain scored twice in the first of those to see off Croatia, who came from 3-1 down to level at 3-3 with only minutes of normal time remaining. La Roja found no second wind against France’s conquerors Switzerland, though, who repeated the trick of coming from behind to force extra-time after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes. Sergio Busquets and Rodri missed their spot-kicks, however Spain still scraped through.

Hard work or not, no team has more goals (12) or an higher expected goals tally (15.6) than three-time European champions Spain. Italy rank next best for the latter on 10.3, which emphasises how elite the Spanish have been at creating scoring opportunities thus far. However, an expected goals against tally of 6.8, conceding five, is at least twice that of the four sides left in the competition.

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Italy Vs Spain Betting Advice

Of the semi-finalists, Italy are the only ones to boast a 100% record until this point – that’s if you choose to include their extra-time win over the Austrians. Conversely, Spain have only won twice so far (or once inside 90 minutes), with the likes of Sweden, Poland, Croatia and Switzerland all holding Luis Enrique’s men in normal times. Understandably then, it is the Italians who begin as favourites at Wembley.

 

Italy Vs Spain – Key Facts:

  • On route to these semi-finals, Italy won four of five games inside 90 minutes (D1) whereas Spain have only won the once (D4) – versus Slovakia on Matchday 3.
  • Both Teams to Score has returned in one of Italy’s two knockout ties (the other seen both teams score in extra-time) but in both games involving Spain.
  • Italy have only sampled that winning feeling twice in their last fourteen meetings (D7 L5) with Spain, who won two of their three encounters at the European Championships.

 

I’m going to swerve the Match Odds, though, and instead focus on Both Teams to Score. Italy have been solid throughout the tournament but rode their luck in both knockout rounds, scoring and conceding in extra-time to Austria before a 2-1 win over Belgium. Meanwhile Spain are exceptional at creating chances, less so at preventing them, with three of five games, including both knockout ties, seeing them score as well as concede.

Best Betting Odds – Italy Vs Spain

Italy – 6/4 (Betfair)
Draw – 11/5 (BetVictor)
Spain – 21/10 (Betway)