Football predictions, Austria-Italy: Azzurri unbeaten in 14 games

Another World Cup from the sofa. Qatar 2022 starts on Sunday and on the same day Italy is engaged in a friendly match against Austria: kick-off at the Happel Stadion in Vienna at 20.45.

The blues are not wrong in friendly

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Italy has an excellent tradition in friendly matches: the Azzurri have won the last seven and never in their history have they recorded more consecutive successes in these matches. With the match against Austria, Roberto Mancini will surpass Marcello Lippi and Cesare Prandelli (both 56) in number of benches with the national team, becoming the third coach with the most appearances after Vittorio Pozzo (95) and Enzo Bearzot (88).

Prediction: 2 + over 1.5

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The Azzurri can’t go wrong and against Arnautovic and his teammates they want to score the fourth victory in a row. A good chance could be to combine the Over 1.5 with the 2 mark: Goldbet’s offer is 3, Sisal’s is 2.75.

A few numbers

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Of the 15 matches played in Austria, Italy played 14 in Vienna (the last one in Klagenfurt, against Romania in a friendly). The Azzurri are practically unbeaten in the Austrian capital in six matches: the last knockout came as far back as March 1958. There are 38 precedents between national teams with the Azzurri ahead in the balance for 18 wins to 12, 8 draws.

Never knocked out in 14 races

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Italy are unbeaten in 14 matches against Austria (W11, D3), including success in the last European Championships (2-1 in June 2021). The opponents’ last success came on 10 December 1960: 1-2 in a friendly match played in Naples.

Quotes

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According to bookmakers, Italy is clearly favored: mark 2 is rated 2.15 by Bet365 and Goldbet, 2.10 by Sisal. The 1 is offered for 3.50 by Sisal and Bet365, 3.45 for Goldbet. While the X is stopped at 3.15 according to Goldbet, 3.10 on Sisal and 3 on Bet365. Rangnick’s team won 1-0 against Moldova in their last friendly, but I had lost my three most recent outings in the Nations League. For analysts, there is still a great balance between Goals and No Goals: the former is quoted at 1.87 for Sisal, 1.86 according to Goldbet and 1.83 on Bet365. The opposite eventuality is offered 1.85 for Bet365 and Sisal, 1.83 according to Goldbet. A good chance is also the first half goal: it is worth 5 for the bookies. While the away team scores in the second half, it is quoted at 1.69.

The markers

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There is a taboo to dispel, because the only goal scored by Italy in Austria in the two matches played in the 21st century was an own goal by Marica in a friendly match against Romania in November 2010. While the last blue to have Nicola Berti found the goal in this country in a friendly match in March 1989.

Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina scored against their opponents at the European Championship and could become the first Azzurri to find more than one goal against this opponent since Giancarlo De Sisti: two goals in the early 1970s. The Monza midfielder could start, the Juventus striker from the bench. That the first score at any time of the match is odds of 6, the Juventus player at 4. Vincenzo Grifo scored a goal or served an assist every 55 minutes on average with the national team, the best average in the Mancini era among players with at least 200 minutes on the pitch. A center of him Sunday is proposed 3.75. That Arnautovic scores instead is proposed at 3.50.