Italy vs North Macedonia Preview

Current European Championship holders, Italy, will look to get their quest to be in Germany next year back on track when they welcome North Macedonia to the Stadio Olimpico this Friday.

The Azzurri, who beat England on penalties in 2021 to become European champions, have found it challenging in their qualifiers group, with their three wins in six qualifier games leaving them third in Group C (D1, L2), six points behind table toppers England, who inflicted a 3-1 defeat upon them in their last outing.

That loss to England means that Luciano Spaletti’s side trail second-placed Ukraine by three points, albeit with a game in hand. So their chances of booking an automatic place in Germany next year remain primarily in their hands, especially given they will still face Ukraine.

To ensure their destiny remains in their hands, they must secure a win in Rome against a North Macedonia side they failed to beat in the reverse fixture (1-1). The visitors have a strong record against Italy, having suffered just one defeat to the hosts in four outings.

That defeat came in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, and since then, they have won once against Italy and shared the points in the other two games.

They currently sit fourth in Group C and can go level on points with Italy if they win this game.

However, there is a slim chance of that happening, given that they have lost four out of their last five away games in all competitions (W1).