Israel will host Italy in what seems like a pivotal clash for both sides that could prove a turning point for either team.

Hungary’s Nagyerdei Stadion will be the venue used by Israel for their World Cup qualifier against a resurgent Italy side. Ran Ben Shimon’s men have a big fixture ahead of them, where even a point could be seen as a win, given the context of their group.

Israel will hope to end this international break on a positive note after beating Moldova in their first game of this round. Ben Shimon’s men currently occupy second spot, some three points behind leaders Norway and as many ahead of Italy, albeit having played a game more.

The result will be crucial for Israel in their quest to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1970. Israel are under big pressure to deliver, or risk allowing Italy to climb back up and take hold of second place, which will feel like their work has gone in vain.

As for Italy, their 5-0 win over Estonia leaves the minnows behind in the standings and now lends their entire focus to second-placed Israel. Having gone through an extremely challenging period earlier in their qualifying campaign under former boss Luciano Spalletti, who was ultimately fired when it felt like Italy would miss out on a third successive World Cup finals.

New boss Gennaro Gattuso appears to have steadied the ship, with the player showing they can play with a bit of freedom, as seen against Estonia. It is rather easy to shrug off the win over the European minnows as an easy game, but in the context of Italy’s qualifying campaign, it was rather necessary.

With Italy having played a game less than their immediate rivals, Israel, they have a big chance to go level on points, and then in the next international break, go past them when the two sides meet again. Should Italy continue on their resurgent form, they could even potentially dream of finishing the group as winners, as they still have a date with leaders Norway in November.

Team News & Tactics

Israel

Manager Ran Ben Shimon is expected to name a similar lineup following their win over Moldova, with Eliel Peretz starting as the line defensive midfielder in the setup. At the back, Stav Lemkin and Idan Nachmias will feature in central defence, with Eli Dasa and Roy Revivo in the full-back roles against Italy.

On paper, Eliel Peretz could have a midfield partner in Dor Peretz, but the latter is likely to play a bit more advanced than the former, who sits in much deeper in the setup. Dan Biton and Manor Solomon will provide the width from the midfield, with Oscar Gloukh playing the more advanced role in their four-man midfield unit.

Tai Baribo will lead the line for Israel against Italy, with Gloukh and Solomon set to support him in terms of being a threat in the final third.

Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Da; Peretz; Dasa, Lemkin, Nachmias, Revivo; E. Peretz; Biton, Do. Peretz, Gloukh, Solomon; Baribo

Italy

Gennaro Gattuso will look to build from the win over Estonia, and he could name a similar lineup, but still make some tweaks, given Israel are a slightly stronger opposition compared to the minnows. The manager might bring in an additional midfielder in his setup, which could see one of Mateo Retegui or Moise Kean drop out.

It could be the latter, with the idea that the manager probably views the former as a key part of his plan, while Manuel Locatelli could get a start in midfield alongside Nicolo Barella and Sandro Tonali. Matteo Politano and Mattia Zaccagni could move further ahead and be a part of a front-three setup as Retegui leads the line.

At the back, Gattuso will continue to field a back four as opposed to a three-man unit that former boss Spalletti preferred. The new Italian boss will continue to select two left-footed centre-backs in Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori, while Giovani Di Lorenzo and Federico Dimarco handle the full-back areas.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori, Dimarco; Barella, Locatelli, Tonali; Politano, Retegui, Saccagni

Key Stats

• Israel have won five of their last six games across all competitions, including three of their four World Cup qualifiers.
• Israel have not featured in a World Cup finals since 1970.
• Italy have defeated Israel in each of their last 6 meetings.
• Italy have only two wins in their last six games across all competitions.

Player to Watch

Alessandro Bastoni

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The feature of Italy has been their defence, and that department has lacked over the last few years, be it World Cup qualification or major tournaments. However, with the current crop at Gennaro Gattuso’s disposal, he has the required quality to form a solid partnership for the future and a leader in the form of Alessandro Bastoni.

The Inter Milan star is so adaptable that, for a left-footed defender, he plays on the right side of the central setup to accommodate the talent of Riccardo Calafiori. Bastoni is the de facto leader of the backline, and certainly for the entire team in some respect, as his form and dominance at the back will be crucial for Italy in these important qualifiers ahead.

Prediction

Israel 1-2 Italy

This is a strange game when it comes to outcomes, as Ran Ben Shimon will even take a point if that was offered beforehand. However, the ideal scenario for Israel would be to win this encounter in a strange home-away-from-home scenario for the hosts, although with Italy, there’s a tough challenge ahead.

The big question for Israel is, do they have the right quality to topple Gennaro Gattuso’s men? Probably not, as the Italians are much superior in all departments on paper, and could take crucial three points away from home and go level on points with Israel in the standings.