Italy vs Argentina
, KO: 19:45 Jun 1, 2022, Wembley Stadium
The Finalissima returns for the first time since 1993 with European champions Italy battling Copa America winners Argentina.
Italy appear to be a long way from their impressive 2021 campaign when they went on a record 37 matches without defeat and emerged champions of Europe. They have endured a rough time in 2022 and crucially will be missing from the Qatar World Cup later in the year.
The Azzurri’s last international game was a 3-2 victory over Turkey in a friendly back in March. It was a result that ended a run of three matches without a win for Roberto Mancini’s men, who have also claimed just one victory in their last five competitive fixtures.
Added to Italy’s struggles ahead of Wednesday’s clash is the absence of a number of key players with Federico Chiesa, Ciro Immobile, Rafael Toloi and Domenico Berardi all ruled out. The Finalissima also brings an end to Giorgio Chiellini's International career with the veteran defender set to retire.
While Italy have struggled to capture their European Championship winning form, it has been a different case for Argentina. The South Americans have been near perfect for almost three years and last suffered defeat in June of 2019.
In addition to last year’s Copa America triumph, Argentina have also maintained an unbeaten record in the South American World Cup qualifiers. They head into Wednesday’s Finalissima with three wins and a draw from their last four matches across all competitions.
While the Italians are dealing with injuries and withdrawals, Lionel Scoloni has no such problems and has named a strong squad. PSG's Lionel Messi has been named, with Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martinez also included following impressive campaigns in Italy.
How the bookies view it
Argentina have the edge among the bookies and are priced at 31/20 by bet365 to claim the win. A victory for Italy is valued 21/10 by Unibet, who are also offering odds of 21/10 for a draw.
Recent head to head
Argentina have the upper hand in recent matches against Italy, winning the last three meetings. The most recent fixture was a friendly in 2018 which the South Americans won 2-0.
Players to watch
In the absence of Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne will be tasked with carrying the attacking treat for Italy. Paddy Power has the attacker at odds of 11/4 to get on the score sheet on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi is still as influential as ever for Argentina and remains the biggest attacking threat for the South Americans. The PSG forward is priced at odds of 5/2 by Paddy Power to find the net on Wednesday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Italy and Argentina have plenty of attacking quality and both teams could be backed to score at evens with bet365. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 6/5 by Unibet while Paddy Power is offering odds of 3/1 for over 3.5 goals.
A tight and closely fought opening is expected on Wednesday which means the second half could be tipped as the highest scoring half at 11/10 by Paddy Power.
This match between Italy and Argentina will be played on Jun 1, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Italy vs Argentina prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
