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Malta national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Mar 26, 2023 at 7.45pm UK
 
Italy national football team

Malta
0 - 2
Italy

FT(HT: 0-2)
Retegui (15'), Pessina (27')
Di Lorenzo (36'), Scalvini (54')

How Italy could line up against Malta

How Italy could line up against Malta
© Reuters
Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Italy could line up for Sunday's European Championship qualifying clash with Malta.

Beaten by England in their first game of Euro 2024 qualifying, reigning champions Italy meet Malta in Ta'Qali on Sunday, when they may shake up their starting XI following an opening-day defeat.

Group C's minnows should prove far less of a threat than the Three Lions, so Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini can afford to take risks and perhaps rest some of his more tried-and-trusted performers: Domenico Berardi and Jorginho could be among those to make way.

Mancini's options have been narrowed further, though, after Nicolo Barella and Leonardo Bonucci both returned to their clubs due to injury, joining attacking trio Ciro Immobile, Giacomo Raspadori and Federico Chiesa on the sidelines. Barella's Inter teammates Alessandro Bastoni and Federico Dimarco are also unavailable.

Such an injury situation leaves Mateo Retegui as favourite to start up front, following his goalscoring debut on Thursday. Gianluca Scamacca is the only other centre-forward still in the squad but has been woefully out of form this year.

In support of the main man will be two wide forwards, assuming Mancini sticks with his preferred 4-3-3 formation, with Wilfried Gnonto and Freiburg's Vincenzo Grifo battling it out to replace Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini on the left flank; Matteo Politano may supplant Berardi on the right.

Having made his senior international debut as a 16-year-old last November, Udinese striker Simone Pafundi could even be offered his first few minutes of competitive action for La Nazionale, should the game be going to plan during the second half.

There are set to be some changes in defence, too. After a difficult night in Naples, the centre-back pairing of Rafael Toloi and Francesco Acerbi should be split up, as Alessio Romagnoli of Lazio and Atalanta youngster Giorgio Scalvini come into contention.

Italy possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Darmian, Romagnoli, Scalvini, Spinazzola; Cristante, Verratti, Tonali; Politano, Retegui, Gnonto

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Written by
Jonathan O'Shea
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How you voted: Malta vs Italy

Malta
12.4%
Draw
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Italy
80.4%
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Italy manager Roberto Mancini on September 23, 2022
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain870121
Q Scotland flag Scotland852117
3 Norway Norway832311
4 Georgia Georgia82248
5 Cyprus Cyprus80080

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France871022
Q Netherlands Netherlands860218
3 Greece Greece841313
4 Ireland Rep. Ireland82066
5 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar80080

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England862020
Q Italy Italy842214
3 Ukraine Ukraine842214
4 Macedonia N. Macedonia82248
5 Malta flag Malta80080

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Turkey Turkey852117
Q Croatia Croatia851216
3 Wales flag Wales833212
4 Armenia Armenia82248
5 Latvia Latvia81073

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Albania national flag Albania843115
Q Czech Republic Czech Republic843115
3 Poland Poland832311
4 Republic of Moldova Moldova824210
5 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands80262

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Belgium Belgium862020
Q Austria Austria861119
3 Sweden Sweden831410
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan82157
5 Estonia Estonia80171

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Hungary Hungary853018
Q Serbia Serbia842214
3 Montenegro Montenegro832311
4 Lithuania Lithuania81346
5 Bulgaria Bulgaria80444

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Denmark Denmark1071222
Q Slovenia Slovenia1071222
3 Finland Finland1060418
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan1060418
5 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland103079
6 San Marino flag San Marino1000100

Group I

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania1064022
Q Switzerland Switzerland1045117
3 Israel Israel1043315
4 Belarus Belarus1033412
5 Kosovo flag Kosovo1025311
6 Andorra flag Andorra100282

Group J

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal10100030
Q Slovakia Slovakia1071222
3 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg1052317
4 Iceland Iceland1031610
5 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina103079
6 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein1000100


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