Italy vs North Macedonia is the next semi final playoff match in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where the reigning champions of Europe look to surpass North Macedonia and march onto the playoff final.

Italy vs North Macedonia: Match Preview:

UEFA Euro 2020 champions Italy are among the nations vying for a spot after finishing second in their group behind Switzerland. The underwhelming qualifying campaign has now forced Roberto Mancini's men to battle it out for their participation in the coveted competition.

Thumbs-up from the skipper 😁👍#WCQ #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/jjrfxj2asy

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) March 21, 2022

Italy start their playoff campaign on Thursday with a game against North Macedonia at Renzo Barbera Stadium in Palermo. Despite the home advantage, it is a tricky game for the Gli Azzurri, who had dropped points against the likes of Northern Ireland and Bulgaria during their group qualifying stage.

North Macedonia are a daunting opponent, who had finished second behind Germany in Group J. They had finished ahead of established nations such as Romania and Iceland and had even beaten Germany once.

The winner of this tie will qualify for the playoff final against either Portugal or Turkey, who play each other on the same day at the iconic Estadio do Dragao.

Team news:

Italy:

Italy have named a strong squad. Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, the experienced Juventus centre-back duo of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli and Lazio striker Ciro Immobile have all been included.

There could be potential debuts for Lazio centre-back Luiz Felipe, Cagliari attacker Joao Pedro and Lazio forward Mattia Zaccagni. Sassuolo's young attackers Giacomo Raspadori and Gianluca Scamacca seem destined for great things, and it is evident that Roberto Mancini rates the young duo highly.

North Macedonia:

Meanwhile, North Macedonia have included Napoli midfielder Elif Elmas, Al-Ahli left-back Ezgjan Alioski and Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. There could be potential debuts for Zalaegerszegi TE centre-back Nikola Serafimov, Istanbulspor midfielder Valon Ethemi, Debrecen striker Dorian Babunski and Westerlo forward Erdon Daci.

Italy vs North Macedonia: Head to Head:

In two head-to-head encounters between the two sides, Italy have drawn one game and won one.

The two countries last faced each other in 2017, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw. A first-half goal from Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini for Italy was canceled out by a second-half goal from attacker Aleksandar Trajkovski for North Macedonia.

Recent form in all competitions:

Italy:

5-0 win over Lithuania

2-1 loss against Spain

2-1 win over Belgium

1-1 draw against Switzerland

0-0 draw against Northern Ireland

North Macedonia:

0-0 draw against Romania

4-0 win over Liechtenstein

4-0 oss against Germany

5-0 win over Armenia

3-1 win over Iceland

Italy vs North Macedonia: Predicted Line-ups:

Italy Predicted XI (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Florenzi, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Emerson Palmieri, Manuel Locatelli, Nicolo Barella, Marco Verratti, Domenico Berardi, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne

North Macedonia Predicted XI (4-3-3): Stole Dimitrievski, Stefan Ristovski, Darko Velkovski, Kire Ristevski, Ezgjan Alioski, Stefan Spirovski, Elif Elmas, Tihomir Kostadinov, Darko Churlinov, Milan Ristovski, Aleksandar Trajkovski

ITA vs MCD: Dream11 Predictions:

Hello and welcome to another big night of international football. Tonight, we will be covering three out of four UEFA Nations League 2025 quarterfinals. 

This is Soumit Bhattacharya, with the buildup, news, LIVE updates, scores, and free commentary of the Italy vs Germany UEFA Nations League 2025 Quarter-final 1st Leg match.

Italy qualified for the quarter-finals after securing 13 points in 6 matches, finishing second in the League A Group 2. On the other, Germany topped the League A Group 3, having earned 14 points in 6 games.

This sets up an engaging match-up between two of the biggest powerhouses of European football in the UEFA Nations League 2025 Quarter-finals. So, sit back and relax as we bring you everything on the Italy vs Germany match from the web desk. 

Inter Milan delivered a clinical performance and secured a 3-0 victory at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium against the defending Champions Napoli in the Serie A 2023-24 on Sunday. Inter were lethal in front of goal with Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, and Marcus Thuram all scoring at crucial moments when Napoli tried to gain momentum in the match.

Also Read: Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: Joao Felix's goal and Inaki Pena's heroics earn three crucial points for Barcelona

Inter leads the Serie A 2023-24 points table with 35 points, two points ahead of second-placed Juventus after 14 matches. The loss is another setback for Napoli's hopes of retaining the title as they now trail Inter by 11 points. They are in the fifth spot level on 24 points with AS Roma who are fourth.

Inter scored against the run of play just before halftime as Calhanoglu fired a precise low shot from outside the box into the bottom corner of the net.

In the second half, Napoli continued their offensive push but couldn't hurt Inter Milan. In the 61st minute, Napoli's second-half momentum was derailed when Barella received a cross in the box and skilfully got past two defenders before burying the ball beyond keeper Alex Meret to double Inter's lead. Thuram then sealed the points with a goal five minutes from time

"Napoli are the champions of Italy. We ran some risks on the Politano chance and the Sommer saves but the players deserved it and I hugged them all individually," Inzaghi said after the match.

The UEFA EURO 2024 draw took place on Saturday, December 2. Wales will take part in the play-offs in March of next year, and discover who awaits them in the finals should they qualify. Germany are the host nation for next summer's tournament. West Germany hosted the tournament back in 1988, but this will be the first time Germany has staged the European Championship since reunification. Defending Champion Italy will face Spain for the fifth EURO in a row, while hosts Germany will meet Scotland in the opening game of the competition.

Also Read: FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023: List of all the award winners

In total, 24 teams will qualify through the results of the European Qualifiers. 21 of the 24 teams are now known, with only the three teams to progress from the play-offs still to be decided.

EURO 2024 Playoffs:

Semi-Finals (Thursday 21 March) -

• Path A: Poland vs Estonia, Wales vs Finland

• Path B: Israel vs Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Ukraine

• Path C: Georgia vs Luxembourg, Greece vs Kazakhstan

Finals (Tuesday 26 March) -

• Path A: Wales / Finland vs Poland / Estonia

• Path B: Bosnia and Herzegovina / Ukraine vs Israel / Iceland

• Path C: Georgia / Luxembourg vs Greece / Kazakhstan

Euro 2024 Groups:

• Group A - Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland

• Group B - Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania

• Group C - Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England

• Group D - Play-off winner A, Netherlands, Austria, France

• Group E - Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Play-off winner B

• Group F - Turkey, Play-off winner C, Portugal, Czech Republic

Also Read: Top 10 Defenders with Most Goals in the 21st Century

Host Cities:

• Berlin - Olympiastadion Berlin

• Cologne - Cologne Stadium (RheinEnergieSTADION)

• Dortmund - BVB Stadion Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park)

• Dusseldorf - Dusseldorf Arena (MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA)

• Frankfurt - Frankfurt Arena (Deutsche Bank Park)

• Gelsenkirchen - Arena AufSchalke (Veltins-Arena)

• Hamburg - Volksparkstadion Hamburg

• Leipzig - Leipzig Stadium (Red Bull Arena)

• Munich - Munich Football Arena (Allianz Arena)

• Stuttgart - Stuttgart Arena (MHPArena)

The final will take place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday July 14.

UEFA Euro 2024 Group Stages Fixtures:

Friday, June 14:
Germany vs Scotland (Munich)

Saturday, June 15:

• Spain vs Croatia (Berlin)

• Italy vs Albania (Dortmund)

• Hungary vs Switzerland (Cologne)

Sunday, June 16:

• Serbia vs England (Gelsenkirchen)

• Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia vs Netherlands (Hamburg)

• Slovenia vs Denmark (Stuttgart)

Monday, June 17:

• Austria vs France (Dusseldorf)

• Belgium vs Slovakia (Frankfurt)

• Romania vs Israel/Bosnia & Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland (Munich)

Tuesday, June 18:

• Portugal vs Czech Republic (Leipzig)

• Turkey vs Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg (Dortmund)

Wednesday, June 19:

• Croatia vs Albania (Hamburg)

• Scotland vs Switzerland (Cologne)

• Germany vs Hungary (Stuttgart)

Thursday, June 20:

• Spain vs Italy (Gelsenkirchen)

• Denmark vs England (Frankfurt)

• Slovenia vs Serbia (Munich)

Friday, June 21:

• Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia vs Austria (Berlin)

• Netherlands vs France (Leipzig)

• Slovakia vs Israel/Bosnia & Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland (Dusseldorf)

Saturday, June 22:

• Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg vs Czech Republic (Hamburg)

• Turkey vs Portugal (Dortmund)

• Belgium vs Romania (Cologne)

Sunday, June 23:

• Switzerland vs Germany (Frankfurt)

• Scotland vs Hungary (Stuttgart)

Monday, June 24:

• Croatia vs Italy (Leipzig)

• Albania vs Spain (Dusseldorf)

Tuesday, June 25

• Netherlands vs Austria (Berlin)

• France vs Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia (Dortmund)

• England vs Slovenia (Cologne)

• Denmark vs Serbia (Munich)

Wednesday, June 26:

• Czech Republic vs Turkey (Hamburg)

• Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg vs Portugal (Gelsenkirchen)

• Slovakia vs Romania (Frankfurt)

• Israel/Bosnia & Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland vs Belgium (Stuttgart)

UEFA Euro 2024 Knockouts Fixtures:

Round of 16:

Saturday, June 29:

• 37 1A vs 2C (Dortmund)

• 38 2A vs 2B (Berlin)

Sunday, June 30:

• 39 1B vs 3A/D/E/F (Cologne)

• 40 1C vs 3D/E/F (Gelsenkirchen)

Monday, July 1:

• 41 1F vs 3A/B/C (Frankfurt)

• 42 2D vs 2E (Düsseldorf)

Tuesday, July 2:

• 43 1E vs 3A/B/C/D (Munich)

• 44 1D vs 2F (Leipzig)

Quarter-Finals:

Friday, July 5:

• 45 W39 vs W37 (Stuttgart)

• 46 W41 vs W42 (Hamburg)

Saturday, July 6:

• 47 W43 vs W44 (Berlin)

• 48 W40 vs W38 (Dusseldorf)

The Semi-Finals:

Tuesday, July 9:

49 W45 vs W46 (Munich)

Wednesday, July 10:

50 W47 vs W48 (Dortmund)

The Final:

Sunday, July 14:

W49 vs W50 (Berlin)

Also Read: 'It was never a debate': Jamie Carragher's shocking Messi vs Ronaldo statement

How can fans book their tickets?

Ticket applications for the UEFA Euro 2024 opened on October 3 through the tournament's official website. The initial window closed on October 26. There will be other opportunities to buy tickets as teams confirm their places at the tournament, including through the play-offs next year. There will also be a resale platform that opens in Spring 2024.

More than 80 percent of the 2.7m tickets available will be for the fans of the participating teams and the general public. Group-stage prices range from €30 (£26/ 2,719.38 Rs.) to €200 (£174), increasing in price with each round. Tickets for the final range from €95 (£83/ 8,611.38 Rs.) to €1,000 (£870).

UEFA Euro 2024: Format

The format will be the same as for the last time around. The top two teams from each of the six final tournament groups will proceed to the round of 16 along with the four best third-placed finishers.

Carlo Ancelotti broke the record for most Champions League wins. He surpassed the legendary Scottish manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Pep Guardiola is also not far behind of these two great managers. After Real Madrid's 3-0 dominating victory over Braga, Ancelotti became the manager to register 116 victories in the history of the competition. Earlier, he labelled the numbers with former Manchester United Legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. SportzPoint will now look at the five managers with the most wins in the Champions League after Ancelotti's record-breaking achievement.

Also Read: Top 5 oldest Ballon d'Or winners

Managers with the most wins in the Champions League

1. Carlo Ancelotti - 116 wins

Ancelotti has won many titles in his illustrious managerial career, recording many match victories. Carlo is already the most decorated manager in the history of the Champions League, winning the trophy four times as a coach. Ancelotti won the Champions League twice with AC Milan (2003 and 2007) and two times with Real Madrid (2014 and 2022).

Carlo Ancelotti has surpassed Sir Alex Ferguson to become the manager with the 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗦 in the history of the 🆑 👏 pic.twitter.com/yOqJXOhLWV

— 433 (@433) November 9, 2023

He claimed his 116th win in the Champions League following Real Madrid's victory over Braga. The 64-year-old has now won more games than any other manager in the history of the European Cup and Champions League.

Ancelotti managed eight clubs in the Champions League: Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Real Madrid. He is the 'Record Manager'

2. Sir Alex Ferguson - 115 wins

The legendary Scottish manager had registered 115 victories as a manager in his Champions League career. He recorded five victories during his stint with Aberdeen during the 1980s.

Ferguson became famous when he joined Manchester United. He claimed 110 Champions League victories with the club, 102 of which came in the competition proper. He won the tournament twice during his time in England, leading the Red Devils to the title in 1999 and 2008.

3. Pep Guardiola - 107 wins

With Ferguson already retired, Guardiola has the best chance to break Ancelotti's record. Pep already has 107 Champions League wins to his name.

Guardiola has won the European Cup three times in managerial career. He led Barcelona to the Champions League title in 2009 and 2011. He won his third last June with Manchester City, including a historic treble.

Manchester City have already qualified for the round of 16 after winning their first four group matches in the Champions League 2023-24 season.

4. Arsene Wenger - 103 wins

Wenger is fourth on the list with 103 wins in UCL, the majority of those came during his tenure at Arsenal. He failed to win the title but the Frenchman did lead the Gunners to the 2006 Champions League final.

5. Jose Mourinho - 81 wins

Mourinho is fifth on the list, having claimed 81 Champions League wins in his career. He first showed his potential during his tenure at Porto, leading the Portuguese club to the Champions League title in 2004. He added another Champions League trophy to his collection in 2010, leading Inter Milan to the title.

VAR denied Juventus' 2 goals. They looked set to drop two valuable points until Cambiaso scored from close range in the dying minutes of stoppage time. Juventus go top ahead of Milan and Inter's matches against Napoli and Roma on Sunday.

Also Read: Premier League 2023-24: Pinnock and Mbeumo scored as Brentford registered victory in Stamford Bridge again

Andrea Cambiaso's goal in the 96th minute helped Juventus register a last-minute win over Hellas Verona. But it came after Moise Kean twice saw goals disallowed by the video assistant referee on a hugely frustrating night.

Kean's solo goal was ruled out for an extremely tight offside as he came back to receive the ball earlier in the move. And his second, well-finished after the break, was ruled out for a foul by Kean himself back near halfway earlier in the build-up.

Verona's defense was rock solid otherwise. But with barely seconds remaining, Milik's header came back off the post and Cambiaso was able to scramble it across the line as the fans went crazy at the Allianz Stadium.