This game has a David vs. Goliath feel about it but these Malta vs. Italy predictions do suggest that it will be the Azzurri that will come away happiest. But Italy have faltered before and Roberto Mancini will be keen to avoid any surprises at the Ta' Qali Stadium on Sunday.
Malta are the big underdogs in Group C and will be looking at other fixtures than the ones against Italy, England and Ukraine for the morale-boosting points in this campaign. But there have been signs of improvement recently and Italian-born head coach Michele Marcolini will want his players to put in a good performance on Sunday.
After kicking off the campaign against one of the surprises of the last few years in North Macedonia, Malta now faces Italy before hosting England in June. No one seriously believes that the Falcons can get anything from these games, but there have been Azzurri upsets before.
Creative midfielder Teddy Teuma will be the main source of inspiration in the Malta side, after his impressive performances for his club side, Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League recently. But Malta will just want to keep opposing goals down to a minimum and should defend deeply in the hope of coming away with a respectable final scoreline.
Roberto Mancini will be looking at this game as a chance to rack up the goals and put a smile back on the faces of Azzurri fans before the Nations League finals in June. A lack of a goal-getting striker shouldn't be as much of a problem here, but whoever does find the net could lay a claim for future inclusion.
With Ciro Immobile injured – and possibly not coming back to the international fold – Mancini has selected some players who have yet to really get a good look in. So it could be one of those who finds the net on Sunday. West Ham's Gianluca Scamacca has endured a tough year in the English Premier League, so a goal for him could be a massive boost to all concerned.
Italy will be expected to add to their goal difference this weekend. But Malta will look to frustrate the visitors – so a bet on Italy to score under 3.5 goals could be a good idea, although the Azzurri should be backed to win to nil as well.
Malta vs. Italy can be watched live on Sunday evening on Viaplay Sports 2 and Viaplay UK with a monthly subscription.
Malta (3-4-2-1): Bonnello; Muscat, Apap, Borg; Mbong, Guillaumier, Paiber, Camenzuli; Teuma, Jones; Satariano
Italy (3-4-3): Donnarumma; Bonucci, Acerbi, Romangnoli; Di Lorenzo, Verratti, Jorginho, Spinazzola; Berardi, Scamacca, Gnonto
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Ben jij klaar voor een onvergetelijke avond vol muziek, plezier en... pizza? Kom naar het Sprachcaffe Village voor een fantastische avond vol karaoke en onbeperkte pizza's! De deuren openen om 19:00, en het karaoke-apparaat staat meteen voor je klaar. Je kunt ook wat eerder komen voor een drankje om alvast in de sfeer te komen!
🇳🇱 NedMalta nodigt je uit voor de ultieme pub crawl in Paceville! 🇳🇱
Kroketten en frikandellen tijdens de spannende wedstrijd! ⚽🥳
🔥 All-You-Can-Eat Tex Mex Feast! 🔥
Join us on select Thursdays for an epic Unlimited Buffet featuring succulent spare ribs, crispy chicken wings, and all your favorite sides like creamy coleslaw and golden fries!
Elke vrijdag is het tijd voor de Internationale Studenten Avond in Club Cuba, Paceville! Dit mega-event wordt georganiseerd in samenwerking met verschillende studentenorganisaties in Malta, waaronder NedMalta. Bereid je voor op een onvergetelijke nacht vol muziek, drankjes en internationale vibes! 🌍🎶
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