Sports Blog 31/03/2015: Friendly Preview – Italy vs England, Tuesday 31st March 2015

Fresh off of another win in the Euro qualifiers, England face a decidedly tougher test when they travel to Turin tonight to face Italy at 7.45pm on ITV.

Tuesday’s friendly provides a class chance for Roy Hodgson to play around. However, the England manager may not want to be too experimental, as this current iteration could do with a true test of ability to see how far they have come since limping out of the World Cup last summer, a test they are unlikely to get in their minnow-filled Euro 2016 qualifying group.

Friday’s 4-0 win over Lithuania sees them, alongside Slovakia, as one of only 2 sides who have won every game in the qualifiers so far. More impressively, it takes England to 5 clean sheets in 7, as well as a total of 19 goals throughout this period. With entry to Euro 2016 looking almost certain, it is time for Hodgson to look to slightly loftier aims, i.e. trying to go beyond mere qualification and make a splash at the next international tournament, and this game in Italy will provide a good litmus test for how feasible this currently is.



The man of the moment continues to be Harry Kane, and the pressure will be on tonight after his dream debut saw him score after only 3 touches and 79 seconds on the pitch against Lithuania. Kane, at 11/2 fixed odds to score first, also has 8 goals in his past 10 England U21 matches, and will relish the chance to get a full run out when he starts in Turin alongside Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, himself at 9/1 to score first.

England’s other star man, Wayne Rooney, will be looking to have a big game for slightly different reasons. The England and Man United captain is set to play in midfield, a frustrating choice given the fact that Rooney is only 2 goals away from equalling Sir Bobby Charlton’s 49 goal all-time scoring record and one goal away from equalling the best run of goals for an England international, with our Wayne looking to match Tommy Lawton’s 6 game scoring run from 1939. Unsurprisingly given his form, Rooney is favourite to score first at 5/1.

Italy will provide an interesting test for England; the Azzurri beat England in their World Cup opener back in June, only to then crash out following ignominious defeats to Costa Rica and Uruguay. Tuesday’s Italian starting 11 will only have one of those players that beat England in Brazil, with Juve’s Giorgio Chiellini holding onto his spot. In fact, since drawing with Bulgaria last week, Conte has made 8 changes to his starting line-up, including appearances from S.C. Braga’s Eder (at 5/1 to score first) and Southampton’s Graziano Pelle (at 11/2).



Yet despite being unbeaten in all 7 international games this season, the aforementioned draw against Bulgaria alongside a similar stalemate against Euro 2016 Group H leaders Croatia leaves them in second in that group, with Conte feeling the heat from the Italian press. They remain dissatisfied with Italy’s performances, and Conte has had to spend the run-up to the friendly denying that he is going to leave his post.

However, Italy are still Italy, and have the quality to disrupt an England side that perpetually quiver in front of ‘better’ opposition. Due to this our Spreadex traders have given the Azzurri the slimmest of advantages at an Italy/England Goal Supremacy spread betting quote of 0.1-0.3 with a Total Goals spread of 2.25-2.45. Yet our clients remain behind our boys, and believe the positivity around the England camp can push them to a significant win.

Make sure to check Spreadex on Tuesday evening for more spread betting, fixed odds and in-play opportunities for the England game as well as other international friendlies!