🔊 Can the Norwegians challenge the favorites? Arguably the most anticipated match of the day in the European World Cup qualifiers is set to take place at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, where the home side will face the former European champions. While Norway have already played two matches, this will be Italy's first step in their qualifying campaign. Will the Azzurri assert their dominance in this group? Let's delve into this question.

Head-to-Head

📊 The last head-to-head clash between these national teams took place nearly a decade ago, so there's little point in focusing on their past encounters.

Norway Team Overview

🔴 The "Vikings" are in sensational form. Last autumn, they wrapped up their Nations League campaign with remarkable success. Dominant victories over Slovenia (4-1) and Kazakhstan (5-0) secured them the top spot in their group and a promotion to the elite division. This spring, Norway continued their goal-scoring spree, defeating Moldova (5-0) and Israel (4-2) at the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign. Ståle Solbakken's side has suffered just one defeat since September last year.

🔝 It might be a cliché, but it's impossible not to highlight the contributions of Erling Haaland to the national team's success. He emerged as the top scorer in the Nations League's second division with seven goals and has already netted twice in the current qualifiers. Equally crucial is the captaincy of Martin Ødegaard, who leads the assists chart with four in the opening rounds of qualification.

Italy Team Overview

🔵 Luciano Spalletti learned from the disappointing Euro 2024, fine-tuned his strategies, and rolled out an updated version of the Italian national team. As a result, the Azzurri put up a fight against France in the group stage of the Nations League, only missing out on the top spot due to goal difference. Nevertheless, finishing second was enough to secure a playoff berth. In the quarter-finals, Italy faced Germany, and by halftime at Signal Iduna Park, they were trailing 1-5. However, Spalletti's men turned the game around, scoring three times in the second half. Unfortunately, they ran out of time for a complete comeback.

🔝 Unexpectedly, Giacomo Raspadori emerged as Italy's top performer in terms of goals and assists (2+3) in the Nations League, despite playing in all eight matches and only spending a total of 317 minutes on the pitch. Additionally, we must highlight defender Alessandro Bastoni, who has been consistently impressive for both club and country. He played every minute of all eight matches and currently leads the tournament in ball recoveries (54).

Latest news

Norway

🎙 Ståle Solbakken on the opponent: "Italy have a couple of forwards who have topped the Serie A scoring charts. They're strong aerially, but we also have a very solid attacking line."

🎤 The head coach also commented on the return of Oscar Bobb and Antonio Nusa: "Oscar hasn't played much recently, but he can come off the bench or even start; he's an extraordinary player. Nusa is getting more and more game time, and hopefully, he'll play this weekend. However, neither he nor Bobb are ready for the full 90 minutes."

Italy

🎙 Luciano Spalletti: “Our fate for the World Cup will be decided in Norway. We must accomplish this mission. We have everything we need to play our style of football and deliver a great performance.”

❌ It's crucial to consider Italy's setbacks. The visitors are facing a defensive crisis. Alessandro Buongiorno, Riccardo Calafiori, and Matteo Gabbia are injured, and veteran Francesco Acerbi has declined the call-up to the national team. The midfield will also be challenged by the absence of Manuel Locatelli.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The officiating team is entirely Spanish, led by Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez. Over his last 10 matches, the referee has averaged 3.5 yellow cards and shown 2 red cards.

It's worth noting that matches involving Norway and Italy typically feature fewer cautions, averaging 2.5 and 3.7 respectively over their last 10 games. We believe there will be more football than fouls and scuffles in the upcoming clash, so based on the statistics, we recommend a bet on under 4.5 yellow cards.

⚽️ Goals Prediction

Considering the significant defensive issues faced by Luciano Spalletti, we can't rule out a goal from the hosts. In fact, it's something to expect. Moreover, the Italians, with their prolific forwards, should find the net as well. Therefore, a reasonable bet is both teams to score (yes), which has hit in 7 of the last 8 matches involving the Azzurri.

🚩 Corners Prediction

The Norwegians have been delivering more corners over their last 10 matches, averaging 6.1 compared to 4.8. However, it's crucial to consider the level of competition, which is simply not comparable. One side has faced Europe's elite teams, while the other has played against second or even third-tier squads. Therefore, our pick is Italy not to lose on corners.

Italy, despite their squad issues, remain the stronger side in terms of class, but playing away against Norway is no easy task, and the bookmakers recognize this, offering nearly even odds. The outcome of this clash is unpredictable, as the hosts boast a lengthy successful streak. We believe the "Vikings" might secure points, possibly ending the match in a 2-2 draw.

Based on this, our primary bet recommendation is on over 2.5 goals. This bet has come through in 7 of Italy's last 8 matches and in Norway's last 7 consecutive games as well. Our editorial team cannot ignore such compelling trends.