Italy v Luxembourg Preview & Tips (29th May)

It’s Italy v Luxembourg in an international friendly this 29th of May, Tuesday. Game is scheduled to begin at 14:00 GMT.

Teams News

Italy

Cesare Prandelli made up his mind with regards to the roster he will be bringing to the Euros this summer. Prandelli completed his 23-man team from 25 by dropping Andrea Ranocchia and Mattia Destro. This is after Domenico Criscito ‘s failure to make a team due to match-fixing allegations.

The core of the team is composed of eight Juventus players, led by man who possibly found the fountain-of-youth last season, Andrea Pirlo. With eight Juventus and three AC Milan players, Prandelli can practically start a team composed of the 2012 Serie A champions and runners-up respectively. It may sound outrageous, but it’s all too likely if you think about it. After all, a 4-2-3-1 suits the Italians very well, a formation that these players are used to play in.

Luxembourg

Forty-eight years and counting; it’s been this long since Luxembourg qualified for the UEFA Euro. A mediocre qualifying performance last year didn’t do The Red Lions any good – only four points in a possible haul of 30, and a dismal 21 goals conceded that can only tell the story of a leaky defense.

Fortunately for the Red Lions, the world is never short of big stages to star in, and they do have another one coming their way. The 2014 World Cup qualifying stages are after all coming in a few months. Thing is, Luxembourg isn’t really in a group where you expect them to outplay their group-mates. Seeded against the likes of Portugal and Russia, it looks like the 48 years of counting will not stop ticking anytime soon.

Italy v Luxembourg Betting Preview

Make no mistake about it. Italy is poised to win this game on any given day. The Red Lions just don’t have enough quality to stop the Italians even if they field a weakened side for Euro purposes. The Italians on the other hand will look to win this game. They have been adjudged as inconsistent for so long now that an international win – friendly or not – prior to this summer’s tournament should help a lot.

Betting Tip

Verdict: Italy to win, 3-0.

Tip:

Italy to win is at a meager 1/16, so look elsewhere for rewards. A big winning margin is expected, and at 3-0, a 9/2 odds are looking good. You could also stretch it as far as 4-0 at 11/2 but that comes with higher risks now. In this case, while a ‘game to go over 2.5 goals at 4/11’ is seen to be automatic, it’s not very gratifying.

All odds are from Bet365.com (£200 FREE BET!).