Liechtenstein vs Italy 16/10/19

16 October 2019

Italy head to Liechtenstein to take on the rock-bottom nation in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group B at the Rheinpark Stadion in Vaduz after mathematically securing their place in next summer’s tournament thanks to a 2-0 home triumph over Greece last time out.

Back-to-back 1-1 draws with Greece and Armenia can help the home side enter this clash with some encouragement after they lost five successive matches in Group B. Frustratingly for the hosts, all of their five defeats in the qualifying campaign have seen the draw a blank and concede at least two goals. Only four nations have shipped more goals than Liechtenstein (20) during the ongoing qualifying, with the Blues-Reds conceding at least one goal in 23 qualifying matches (Euro and World Cup). Moreover, Liechtenstein have lost all three of their previous competitive head-to-head meetings with Italy, allowing at least four goals per match while scoring zero in total.

Meanwhile, the visitors sit top of the group as the only team to win all seven qualifying matches so far, and they’ve done it in style. While all seven of their ECQ victories witnessed Gli Azzurri net 2+ match goals, four have been accompanied by a clean sheet. Roberto Mancini’s rock-solid backline has kept a blank sheet in seven of their last ten outings, restricting their rivals to one goal per match precisely – friendlies included. Unbeaten for over a year, the four-time World Cup winners have won nine of their last 11 games (W9, D2) – eight in a row ahead of this trip. Also, they have racked up a four-game winning streak away from home, scoring at least two goals in each of the last three games on the road.