Italy vs Wales Cheat Sheet

Italy have been magnificent in this tournament so far, winning both of their opening group games 3-0. The Azzurri have secured a place in the last-16 and will go through as group winners should they beat Wales here.

Rob Page's side have also been impressive. They are yet to lose at the Euros having drawn their opening game against Switzerland 1-1, followed with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Turkey. The Dragons are in pole position to qualify for the knockout stages and avoiding a defeat here would secure their fate - though the test in front of them is a stern one. 

Standout Stats

Italy have been letting the shots off at an alarming rate. Leading man Ciro Immobile has taken 10 in total over the two games, while Domenico Beradi and Lorenzo Insigne have both registered 7 at goal overall.

This clash will likely be dominated by the Italians and with Roberto Mancini's side full of confidence following a resounding win in midweek, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the aforementioned players bolster their shot stats significantly.

Sassuolo's Manuel Locatelli stole the show against Switzerland, scoring a brace either side of half-time and he is a player I'd be keen to stick with in the shots on target market against Wales having registered 3 SoT in his opening two appearances at Euro 2021. 

Gareth Bale is the player all eyes are transfixed on when Wales are in action and the Real Madrid forward has been in fine form again at the Euros. Despite missing a penalty against Turkey, Bale provided the assists for both goals and was the WhoScored.com Man of the Match. With 6 shots registered over the two games - 2 of which have been on target - I'd expect the former Tottenham man to be on song again in this one as he attempts to propel his beloved country to the next stage of the tournament. 

With this in mind, backing Locatelli and Bale in the SoT market is my preferred angle for this clash. 

Who's in charge?