On Thursday, June 15th, Spain and Italy will face off once again, with a spot in the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League at stake. The winner of this game between La Furia Roja and gli Azzurri will feature in the tournament's final this week, while the loser will have to settle for a possible third place medal in the consolation game played earlier in the day.
Given the historic rivalry between Spain and Italy, Thursday's match, which will be staged at De Grolsch Veste, the home of Dutch club FC Twente in Enschede, is certain to be an entertaining encounter. Here's all you need to know ahead of the latest installment of the eternal battle many have dubbed the Mediterranean Rivalry.
How did Spain get to this juncture?
Spain, who are now under the guidance of Luis de la Fuente following Luis Enrique's departure, successfully topped a quartet comprised of Portugal, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. La Furia Roja secured their spot in the final four thanks to a crucial victory over Portugal on the final matchday, with Alvaro Morata's late effort enough to pio Portugal to top spot by just one point.
Since then, Spain have experienced mixed fortunes. They earned a comfortable 3-1 win over Jordan in a warm-up match prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and began their campaign in Qatar with a bang by cruising to a 7-0 win over Costa Rica. A one-all draw with Germany, the team most expected to fight Spain for top spot, followed, but then Spain were dealt a shocking blow as Japan managed to beat them 2-1.
If many thought the loss to Japan was shocking, they were not ready for the result in the round of 16, where a very determined and resolute Morocco side was able to shut Spain down for 120 minutes and ultimately prevail on penalties. Since de la Fuente's appointment, Spain have been involved in two EURO 2024 qualifying games. Despite beating Norway 3-0, they slipped up in a 2-0 defeat to Scotland, and now will be featuring in their first competitive game in nearly three months.
How did Italy get to this juncture?
Italy, for their part, also narrowly earned top spot in their quartet. Both Germany and England posted shockingly bad campaigns, while Hungary somehow were able to keep up pressure on gli Azzurri until the final matchday. Fortunately for Roberto Mancini's side, they were able to dispatch the determined Hungarians 2-0 to secure top spot and set up a much-anticipated reunion with Spain in the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
Unlike Spain, Italy were not involved in the World Cup after they missed out for the second consecutive time. As such, the Azzurri, who won EURO 2020, will be hoping to make some serious amends and get some revenge on Spain for ending their Nations League final hopes a few years ago. The build-up to this game has seen Italy involved in four games, two EURO 2024 qualifiers and two friendlies, with a record of two wins and two losses.
Match facts: Spain vs Italy
- This will be the 40th meeting between Spain and Italy
- To date, La Furia Roja have won 12 of their last 39 meetings, while gli Azzurri have won 11
- Spain and Italy have featured in 12 continental finals, with Spain winning 8
- Spain famously ended Italy's 37 game unbeaten run back in October 2021, when they beat Italy 2-1 to reach the finals of the UEFA Nations League
Team news: Spain vs Italy
Spain: Youngsters Nico Williams and Pedri will miss this game due to injuries, along with Osasuna defender David Garcia.
Italy: Domenico Berardi and Alessandro Bastoni are among those who had to leave the Italy camp due to injuries, while Argentinian-born Mateo Retegui, who made history as the first player to score in his first two appearances for the national side (since 1968), will hope that his lucky streak will continue if he gets to feature on Thursday.
Broadcast info: Spain vs Italy
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
