Italy look for three points at home against Macedonia
Kick-off : 8:45 PM (Local)
Venue : Olimpico di Torino, Turin
Italy know that they can’t qualify directly to next summers world cup as due to a 0-3 loss to Spain last month. But still can qualify through the play-offs.
Macedonia doesn’t look like a team that Italy should be worried about much as the visitors have lost five of their eight qualifiers so far.
Gli Azzurri have so far scored 19 goals in this qualifying campaign and will look to add more in the two games left.
All in all I think it should be a good game on Friday night as both teams will give their all.
Team news and possible line-ups
Macedonia coach Igor Angelovski does not have any injury concerns with most of his first team regulars fit and ready to play in the remaining two qualifiers.
Kire Ristevski will be unavailable as due to suspension. Goran Pandev will be their key man in this game and will captain the side.
Ilija Nestorovski will be accompanying the captain up front as he is one of form players.
As for Italy, they have a few injury concerns at the moment. The prominent among them are Andrea Belloti, Marco Verratti and Daniele de Rossi.
Nicolo Barella will replace Verratti while Bryan Cristante and Roberto Gagliardini have also got call-ups.
Macedonia XI : Dimitrievski, Ristovski, Musliu, Velkoski, Alioski, Trickovski, Spirovski, Bardhi, Trajkovski, Pandev, Nestorovski.
Italy XI : Buffon, Zappacosta, Bonucci, Chiellini, Darmian, Candreva, Marchisio, Montolivo, Insigne, Immobile, Eder.
Prediction
Italy shouldn’t have difficulties seeing off Macedonia on Friday but I think Macedonia will not make it easy. I expect Italy to win this game 2-1.
