Italy and Switzerland are locked on 14 points at the top of Group C as the two nations prepare to meet for a crucial World Cup qualifier in Rome on Friday.
The Italians sit ahead of the Swiss thanks to their superior goal difference, although both sides have conceded just a single goal in six games this campaign.
Nice to see you, boys! 👋🤩#WCQ #ITASUI #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/WzZ2szWBro— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) November 8, 2021
Nice to see you, boys! 👋🤩#WCQ #ITASUI #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/WzZ2szWBro
Having both picked up four wins and two draws, Italy and Switzerland find themselves six points clear of third-place Bulgaria in Group C.
Italy’s world-record 37-game unbeaten streak was finally ended by Spain in the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League last month.
The reigning European champions bounced back straight away, though, beating Belgium 2-1 in the third-place play-off.
Roberto Mancini’s men have netted 12 goals in six World Cup qualifiers, meaning they are averaging two goals per game during the current campaign.
Considering they have lost just one of their previous 39 games across all competitions, Italy will be confident of dispatching the Swiss and punching their ticket to Qatar.
On the other hand, Switzerland head into Friday’s clash on a five-game unbeaten streak, having sealed three wins and two draws since their last loss.
They recorded goalless draws with Italy and Northern Ireland last month before thrashing Lithuania 4-0 in their previous outing.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Swiss have lost just two of their 17 games across all competitions.
They enjoyed an impressive Euro 2020 campaign in the summer, knocking out France in the round of 16 before pushing Spain all the way to penalties in the quarter-finals.
Head-to-head: Switzerland have only managed to beat Italy seven times in 59 attempts over the years, suffering 29 defeats along the way.
Italy are currently enjoying a ten-match unbeaten streak against the Swiss, having sealed five wins and five draws since Switzerland’s 1-0 victory all the way back in 1993.
Team news: Mancini has handed Tommaso Pobega his first Italy call-up, while Nicolo Zaniolo has been recalled to the European champions’ squad.
As for Switzerland, 21-year-old Red Bull Salzburg striker Noah Okafor will be hoping to earn his second international cap. Xherdan Shaqiri is only two caps shy of a century.
Given that Switzerland secured a well-earned goalless draw in the reverse fixture, the visitors could frustrate the hosts on Friday.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Italy and Switzerland will play out a low-scoring draw in Rome.