Italy vs Armenia 19/11/19

19 November 2019

Italy are one of two nations that can complete the 2020 UEFA European Championship qualifying (ECQ) campaign with a 100% success if they manage to beat Armenia at the Stadio Renzo Barbera this week.

The hosts have announced their comeback to the big stage with a remarkable qualifying campaign, winning all nine of their matches so far in Group J. While all four of Italy’s ECQ home triumphs saw them score at least two goals, three have witnessed them shut out their opponents. In fact, Gli Azzurri have kept a blank sheet in six of nine qualifying matches, restricting their rivals to a maximum of one goal per game in the remaining two. Roberto Mancini can also be proud of Italy’s attacking output, as only two nations have bagged more goals in the ongoing Euro 2020 qualifiers than his team (28). The Italians are particularly deadly after the break, having scored precisely two second-half goals in three of their last home fixtures.

Meanwhile, the visitors travel to Palermo on a run of three consecutive ECQ matches without a win (D1, L2), drawing a blank twice in a row ahead of this meeting. Although they’ve been struggling for points away from home lately, Armenia’s recent road games have overseen some fireworks, with four of their last six competitive away clashes producing over 2.5 goals and seeing both teams hit the net. It was also the case in all three of their previous competitive H2H meetings with Italy, as each has featured precisely four goals and witnessed both teams score (D1, L2). A clean sheet seems not to be on the cards here, as the Collective Team failed to prevent their rivals from scoring in 16 consecutive road trips in all competitions ahead of this one.