Expect Italy to score two or more against Ireland
With nothing but a win good enough for the Azzuri, the Irish could be in for another tough 90 minutes.
What a difference a week makes. This time last week I was sitting at my laptop previewing Ireland’s opening Euro 2012 game against Croatia, waxing lyrical about the Irish side and playing up their chances not only of winning the match but also of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Giovanni Trapattoni’s side were on a 14-game unbeaten run, they had kept 11 clean sheets in those 14 games and they were four matches unbeaten in major international tournaments.
Richard Dunne was telling journalists that the squad believed they could win the competition and Trapattoni was so excited he said he felt like a teenager again.
Seven days on and the outlook could barely be bleaker.
| Primera Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levante | 1-1 | Rayo Vallecano | £120.00 | (5/1) |
| Levante | 1-0 | Rayo Vallecano | £165.00 | (29/4) |
| Levante | 2-1 | Rayo Vallecano | £180.00 | (8/1) |
| Levante win | £49.00 | (29/20) | ||
| Draw | £66.00 | (23/10) | ||
| Rayo Vallecano win | £56.00 | (9/5) | ||
A morale-sapping 3-1 defeat against Croatia had Ireland on the ropes and a crushing 4-0 reverse at the hands of Spain four days later delivered the knockout blow.
While they might not possess the same attacking options as the Spanish, they should still have enough going forward to be able to breach the worst defence in the competition.
See all of bwin’s 322 markets for Italy v Republic of Ireland!
Ireland were out of Euro 2012 before they had ever really got into it and not only that, they went down with barely a whimper.
Against Spain they looked like the proverbial rabbits caught in the headlights – scared, low on confidence and lacking any belief that they could harm Vicente del Bosque’s world-beaters.
They were lambs to the slaughter and it was painful viewing.
With seven goals conceded by the Irish in just two games, backing Italy to continue this trend by scoring three or more goals at 23/20 should do decent business in this one.
Unlike Ireland, Italy have looked solid so far. An impressive 1-1 draw against Spain was followed up by a decent point against Croatia and they know that they should qualify for the quarter-finals with a big victory over the Irish.
A draw will not be enough, so victory is essential. Not only that, but if Spain and Croatia draw it could come down to goal difference to determine who reaches the last eight, so victory by a healthy margin is desirable. Failure to win, though, is almost unimaginable.
Italy are 7/25 favourites to triumph in the match, while a draw is 9/2. Ireland are, unsurprisingly, massive outsiders to win, priced at 19/2 to go out of the competition on a high.
With the Italians knowing that a draw will not be enough, however, they will be taking no chances.
While they might not possess the same attacking options as the Spanish, they should still have enough going forward to be able to breach the worst defence in the competition.
For this reason, backing Italy to score exactly two goals at 12/5 could represent the best value for money.
New customers who register with bwin online qualify for a free £25 bet and using that to back Italy to score two goals in the match will return £85.00 if successful.
And if the Azzurri do indeed manage this feat, the chances are that Ireland will be on their way home with a clean sweep of defeats – truly a far cry from World Cup ’94, Ray Houghton and all that.
Recommended bet: Italy to score exactly two goals @ 12/5
New customers can register here to claim a free £25 bet or click here to see all our Euro 2012 odds.
Follow us on Twitter @bwinbetting