Italy hosts Macedonia in Group C of the European zone playoffs of the World Cup. Italy's performance has been on the decline since they won the European Cup last year, so they shouldn't be overestimated. Macedonia know that they are not as strong as the hosts, so they should adopt a steady and blitz tactics. 7 of Italy's last 8 matches outside the World Cup have opened with 2 goals or less, so they can chase the goal.
Watt falls after winning the Europa League.
Italy won the UEFA Europa League in July last year, but only won 1 and drew 4 of their 5 matches in the World Cup. As a result, they were overtaken by Switzerland, who snatched the first place in the group, leaving them with no choice but to play a play-off to qualify for the World Cup. In addition to the fact that Italy's motivation to win is not as strong as it was after winning the Europa League, another hidden worry for Italy is the injury of their main striker Federico Giovanni Aizza, and the fact that their scorer Enemopini is not as good as his club counterparts in international matches, so it will not be easy for them to break into the gates of North Macedonia.
