Lithuania
WC Qualification Europe
Group Stage
Wed , Mar 31 , 2021 20:45
0 - 2
Italy
Lithuania
Italy
0 - 2
Italy travels to Vilnius to take on Lithuania as they face off in a Group C 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Read our reasons for Lithuania vs Italy prediction and betting tips.
Lithuania began their 2022 World Cup qualification campaign with a 1-0 loss against Switzerland over the weekend. The Azzurri sit joint top of the group with six points alongside Switzerland. Lithuania is third alongside Northern Ireland, with Bulgaria bottom after losing both their opening games. Lithuania has never qualified for the finals of a major tournament, recording just one win during qualification for the last World Cup in neighboring Russia - an indication of their unenviable task in progressing from this competitive group. Lithuania escaped relegation from the UEFA Nations League C last year. They lost 4-0 away to Kosovo in a friendly a week ago.
Although they were characteristical without the ball for long periods against the potentially dangerous Swiss, coach Valdas Urbonas was impressed by Lithuania's determined refusal to fold and could keep a relatively unchanged XI, despite the quick turnaround. Forward Fedor Cernych should once more captain the team from his sole striker's spot in a 4-1-4-1 setup. The Moscow-born striker has netted nine times in 61 appearances for his national team and is expected to be supported by Arvydas Novikovas from out wide. Israel-based defensive midfielder Domantas Simkus is set to screen an overburdened defensive unit for the hosts, which includes former Hearts full-back Saulius Mikoliunas.
Lithuania: Svedkauskas; Mikoliunas, Beneta, Gaspuitis, Vaitkunas; Simkus; Slivka, Dapkus, Lasickas, Novikovas; Cernych
Roberto Mancini is unbeaten in 24 Italy matches and closing on the record of 30 set by Vittorio Pozzo in the 1930s. The 2-0 victory in Bulgaria was the 24th unbeaten game, 19 of them wins. If he avoids defeat on Wednesday against Lithuania, then Mancini will equal Marcello Lippi’s longest run of positive results. Lippi managed 25 from 2004-2006, culminating in the World Cup triumph.
Roberto Mancini warned ‘there’s no such thing as an easy match, especially when Bulgaria just try to neutralize you,’ so Italy can take the 2-0 win. The Azzurri again wasn’t particularly sparkling but did enough for a 2-0 victory thanks to an Andrea Belotti penalty and Manuel Locatelli curler. It was the same result as against Northern Ireland on Thursday, giving the Nazionale a perfect start to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Until this game, Italy had never won a competitive match on Bulgarian soil. “All games are difficult, especially against teams like Bulgaria who put everyone behind the ball and just wait for the counter-attack. Until you find the breakthrough, there are no spaces and it makes life difficult,” Mancini told media. “We are at a moment of the season where the players are a little tired. We didn’t allow a single chance in the first half, and we only did in the second after we wasted numerous opportunities to extend our lead. As I said, there is no such thing as an easy match. The other teams don’t give you space and instead just try to neutralize you. Until you get the opening goal, that’s at a deadlock. I still think we put in a very good performance in the circumstances. We tried after the second goal tonight to score a third, which is what we should’ve done against Northern Ireland. I don’t see other sides winning 7-0 or 8-0 either this week. We know goal difference is important, but the points mean even more and we hope to beat Switzerland.”
Freiburg forward Vincenzo Grifo will not travel to Lithuania due to the tightened COVID-19 restrictions in Germany, as like many others around Europe, he has been recalled as there are now stricter protocols for people arriving from certain countries. If he had stayed in the camp, adhering to the rules would have prevented Grifo from being available for his club next weekend. Sassuolo strikers Francesco Caputo and Domenico Berardi - plus veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini - left the Italy camp due to injury, further diminishing Roberto Mancini's initial 38-man squad. With Roma's Bryan Cristante, Moise Kean of PSG, and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho previously pulling out - and the need to introduce fresh legs for a third fixture in the space of a week - Mancini may bring in some of those who have yet to feature during this international period.
Italy: Donnarumma; Emerson, Bastoni, Toloi, Di Lorenzo; Sensi, Verratti, Pellegrini; El Shaarawy, Immobile, Chiesa
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During this unbeaten streak, the Nazionale kept 17 clean sheets with only three conceded in the last 14 matches. BettingKick’s Lithuania vs Italy Prediction: Away team win to nil.
4-1-4-1
4-3-3
Lithuania
Italy
12.10.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Switzerland | 0-4 |
L
|
09.10.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Bulgaria | 3-1 |
W
|
08.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Lithuania | 5-0 |
L
|
05.09.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Lithuania | 1-0 |
L
|
02.09.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Northern Ireland | 1-4 |
L
|
08.06.2021. | Spain | VS | Lithuania | 4-0 |
L
|
04.06.2021. | Latvia | VS | Lithuania | 3-1 |
L
|
01.06.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Estonia | 0-1 |
L
|
31.03.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
L
|
28.03.2021. | Switzerland | VS | Lithuania | 1-0 |
L
|
12.10.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Switzerland | 0-4 |
L
|
09.10.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Bulgaria | 3-1 |
W
|
02.09.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Northern Ireland | 1-4 |
L
|
01.06.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Estonia | 0-1 |
L
|
31.03.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
L
|
11.11.2020. | Lithuania | VS | Faroe Islands | 2-1 |
W
|
14.10.2020. | Lithuania | VS | Albania | 0-0 |
D
|
11.10.2020. | Lithuania | VS | Belarus | 2-2 |
D
|
04.09.2020. | Lithuania | VS | Kazakhstan | 0-2 |
L
|
17.11.2019. | Lithuania | VS | New Zealand | 1-0 |
W
|
08.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Lithuania | 5-0 |
L
|
05.09.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Lithuania | 1-0 |
L
|
08.06.2021. | Spain | VS | Lithuania | 4-0 |
L
|
04.06.2021. | Latvia | VS | Lithuania | 3-1 |
L
|
28.03.2021. | Switzerland | VS | Lithuania | 1-0 |
L
|
24.03.2021. | Kosovo | VS | Lithuania | 4-0 |
L
|
18.11.2020. | Kazakhstan | VS | Lithuania | 1-2 |
W
|
15.11.2020. | Belarus | VS | Lithuania | 2-0 |
L
|
07.10.2020. | Estonia | VS | Lithuania | 1-3 |
W
|
07.09.2020. | Albania | VS | Lithuania | 0-1 |
W
|
06.10.2021. | Italy | VS | Spain | 1-2 |
L
|
08.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Lithuania | 5-0 |
W
|
05.09.2021. | Switzerland | VS | Italy | 0-0 |
D
|
02.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Bulgaria | 1-1 |
D
|
11.07.2021. | Italy | VS | England | 1-1 |
D
|
06.07.2021. | Italy | VS | Spain | 1-1 |
D
|
02.07.2021. | Belgium | VS | Italy | 1-2 |
W
|
26.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Austria | 0-0 |
W
|
20.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Wales | 1-0 |
W
|
16.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Switzerland | 3-0 |
W
|
06.10.2021. | Italy | VS | Spain | 1-2 |
L
|
08.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Lithuania | 5-0 |
W
|
02.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Bulgaria | 1-1 |
D
|
11.07.2021. | Italy | VS | England | 1-1 |
D
|
06.07.2021. | Italy | VS | Spain | 1-1 |
D
|
26.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Austria | 0-0 |
W
|
20.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Wales | 1-0 |
W
|
16.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Switzerland | 3-0 |
W
|
04.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Czech Republic | 4-0 |
W
|
28.05.2021. | Italy | VS | San Marino | 7-0 |
W
|
05.09.2021. | Switzerland | VS | Italy | 0-0 |
D
|
02.07.2021. | Belgium | VS | Italy | 1-2 |
W
|
11.06.2021. | Turkey | VS | Italy | 0-3 |
W
|
31.03.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
W
|
28.03.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
W
|
18.11.2020. | Bosnia | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
W
|
11.10.2020. | Poland | VS | Italy | 0-0 |
D
|
07.09.2020. | Netherlands | VS | Italy | 0-1 |
W
|
15.11.2019. | Bosnia | VS | Italy | 0-3 |
W
|
15.10.2019. | Liechtenstein | VS | Italy | 0-5 |
W
|
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Daniel Garcia is originally from Basque Country, and as a kid who grew up just a few streets from Mendizorrotza Stadium, the choice of Deportivo Alavés as his favourite club is more than obvious. Because of his studies, he moved to Madrid where he graduated in Sports Journalism. Daniel plays football on the weekends, but that does not stop him from watching all La Liga matches. He believes that the outcome of a match can be predicted if all the parameters are analyzed well, including form of the players and weather conditions. Currently he is living in Belgrade, and is in love with a Serbian girl who works as a journalist at one of the famous Sport Channels in Serbia.