Israel’s dream journey to a World Cup Finals continues to gather momentum, with Friday’s 4-0 thumping of Moldova showcasing their growing confidence and attacking firepower. That result left them sitting in the play-off spot, three points ahead of Italy, and they’ll be hoping to cause an upset today to extend that gap,Softfootball reports.
With five wins from their last six matches, Alon Hazan’s men are in fine form, though their lack of true home advantage could prove tricky once again. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East means they’ve been forced to play away from home, and their “designated home” match against Norway ended in a damaging 4-2 defeat.
Still, there’s a sense of belief in this team, with their young stars stepping up at the right time. Oscar Gloukh, in particular, continues to shine, scoring his fourth international goal against Moldova all of them coming after half-time.
Israel also carry attacking depth, averaging double-digit shots in their last six matches, and will look to put Italy’s shaky away form under pressure. For a nation that hasn’t reached the World Cup since 1970, this is a golden opportunity to take a massive step forward.
The confirmed Israel XI to face Italy was shared on Israel official Facebook page. See the line-up below:
Italy, meanwhile, arrived in this fixture under new management and got exactly what they needed in Gennaro Gattuso’s first game in charge. The 5-0 win over Estonia looked emphatic on paper, but in truth, it wasn’t as straightforward. The Azzurri went into half-time break without a goal, and came out postively in the second-half to finally breakthrough.
That result was still vital to restore confidence, but Gattuso will know that the real test comes now. Anything less than a win here could see Italy fall six points behind the top two, a nightmare scenario that risks them missing a third straight World Cup.
For a country with Italy’s history and pedigree, the pressure could not be higher. Players like Giacomo Raspadori, who came off the bench to deliver a goal and two assists in just 25 minutes against Estonia, will be key. But Italy’s away record in qualifiers will be a concern ,winless in their last three, and failing to score in all of them.
Confirmed Starting Lineup of Italy to face isreal posted by the italian football federation via its official X handle, see below;
With the likes of Federico Chiesa and Nicolò Barella also needing to step up, Gattuso’s men must find a way to combine their attacking quality with consistency. Their World Cup hopes might depend on it.
