The upcoming friendly between Greece and Italy promises little fireworks yet plenty of lessons for both sides still licking wounds from World Cup heartbreaks. Greece crashed out early in qualifiers without troubling Denmark or Scotland much and now head into these summer games with players who look short on fire after watching others book their tickets to the big show. Italy on their part have turned missing the World Cup into a bad habit since 2014 but they at least have that Euro 2020 title to lean on while they try to steady the ship.
Team Form
Greece have struggled to find any real rhythm lately and the mood around the camp feels flat ahead of these low stakes matches. Italy meanwhile picked up a narrow win over Luxembourg thanks to a goal from young Inter striker Francesco Esposito yet the performance hardly set pulses racing.
- Greece failed to reach playoffs after poor showings against top qualifiers
- Italy sit on seven wins from eleven meetings with Greece historically
- Both teams enter with limited motivation as they watch World Cup preparations from afar
Tactical Analysis
Italy hold the upper hand in almost every department and should control the tempo from the first whistle. Their defensive shape has looked solid even in friendlies while Greece may struggle to create clear chances against a side that rarely gifts easy goals. Expect Italy to press high early then sit back and frustrate the home side once they grab the lead or settle for a point.
The visitors also boast better individual quality in attack with young talents like Esposito adding fresh legs and ideas. Greece will need to dig deep and show more fight than they managed in qualifiers if they hope to avoid another heavy defeat on home soil.
Betting Proposal
Italy have only lost once to Greece across eleven clashes and remain the far more organized unit even on the road. The smart money sits with the away side to at least avoid defeat in this low key affair.
Italy not to lose away with odds of 1.75 looks the value play here.
