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Portugal vs Italy Prediction & Betting tips
Monday night, the top player in the Nations League between a Ronaldo-less Portugal and Italy is on the program. Which team can grab the head position?
Portugal:
The European champion of 2016 was eliminated in the last round in the eighth finals. The Portuguese began convincingly by keeping 3-3 in an Iberian little neighbor. Cristiano Ronaldo was again the big man with three goals. In the second game, Morocco was defeated 1-0 in an oastering match to end the group stage with a 1-1 against Iran. In the eighth finals Uruguay was then too strong with 2-1.
A large number of players from the last World Cup selection is not there. For example, national coach Fernando Santos did not make room for his selection for Bruno Alves, José Fonte, João Moutinho, João Mario, Adrien Silva, Danilo Pereira, Nani and Ricardo Quaresma. Also superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is not there, he gets peace. The new generation of Portuguese talents is ready. Young players like Ruben Dias, Gedson Fernandes and Ruben Neves get the chance of Santos to play in the base.
Italy:
Italy was, besides the Netherlands, the other notable absentee on the world championship. The Italians had to give priority to Spain in the qualifying series, leading the team to playoffs. In this Sweden (which had ended up in the pool above the Netherlands) was too strong. In Sweden, 1-0 was lost and that damage was no longer repaired in the Netherlands, as no more was scored.
Thus, the world champion of 2006 had to go missing in the summer. The dramatic elimination led to the end of the international career of Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele de Rossi and Andrea Barzagli. Marco Parolo, Marco Verratti, Antonio Candreva and Matteo Darmian were also not called up for the meetings against Portugal and Poland in the Nations League.
However, Italian football has more than enough quality to get back on its feet. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Daniele Rugani, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Jorginho and Lorenzo Insignia have their best years yet. Mario Balotelli is in his good year at Nice again in the picture with the national team. In the first game in the Nations League against Poland (1-1) he was in the starting line-up.
Portugal vs Italy head to head matches
16.06.15 FI Italy Portugal 0 : 1
06.02.08 FI Italy Portugal 3 : 1
31.03.04 FI Portugal Italy 1 : 2
12.02.03 FI Italy Portugal 1 : 0
25.04.00 FI Italy Portugal 2 : 0