Italy – Saudi Arabia Prediction & Picks (28.05.2018)

In Italy’s St. Gallen, Italy and Saudi Arabia are competing against each other on Monday-evening. The Italians lick their wounds after missing the World Cup, while the Saudi’s will make their appearance again after several years.

Italy:

Italy is currently in a transition phase. Immediately after the South Europeans did not qualify for the World Cup for the first time in sixty years, the veterans Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Daniele de Rossi and Gianluigi Buffon announced their retirement and national coach Gian Piero Ventura was deported. During the friendly games against Argentina (0-2 loss) and England (1-1), interim coach Luigi Di Biagio took the honors, but two weeks ago Roberto Mancini appointed a new choice. Mancini raises the bar: “As a player I never won a prize with my country, but hopefully I will succeed as a coach.”

First of all, Mancini will have to build a new team. That does not go smoothly yet, because midfielder Claudio Marchisio and goaltie thief Ciro Immobile had to cancel injured. The Italian selection is home to four debutants, but the most striking is the presence of Mario Balotelli, who makes his return to the Azzurri after four years of absence. Judging by the training sessions, he will even start on Monday-evening, with Lorenzo Insigne and Simone Verdi on the flanks.

Saudi Arabia:

Saudi Arabia had to ignore the World Cups of 2010 and 2014, but managed to qualify for the World Cup next summer in Russia under Bert van Marwijk. Van Marwijk, however, has been away for a while at De Groene Valken. The Saudi football association would have liked the Dutchman to show himself more in Saudi Arabia, something that Van Marwijk had little appetite for. Van Marwijk, however, with Australia still goes to the World Cup, while Saudi Arabia managed to tie the Spaniard Juan Antonio Pizzi as a successor.

Saudi Arabia already started its World Cup preparation last week in the Spanish region of Andalusia, where it already practiced against Algeria and Greece respectively (both 2-0 wins). Almost all players are still active in their own country and are therefore totally unknown to me. Three players of the 28-strong selection were leased last season to the Spanish firstclass Leganes, Levante and Villarreal, but none of them actually came out. Yet the selection of experience is bulging. The average age is just under 29 years and players as defender Osama Hawsawi (133 international teams) and midfielder Taisir Al-Jassim (129 international teams) bring a cartload of international routine. However, it is difficult to make an assessment of the qualities of the country.