As the 2026 World Cup qualifiers escalate, Israel face Italy in a key Group I fixture on 8 September 2025 at Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen. Italy seek redemption under new coach Gennaro Gattuso, while Israel aim to continue their strong start and defy expectations on neutral ground.
Recent Form
Israel: Impressive recent form, including a dominant 4–0 win over Moldova. Expected to continue their momentum.
Italy: Under Gattuso, Italy hit back with a bang—demolishing Estonia 5–0. The coach has injected new passion and belief into the squad.
Head-to-Head (H2H)
Played: 7
Italy wins: 6
Draws: 1
Israel wins: 0
Italy carry historical dominance into this tie.
Key Players to Watch
Israel:
Manor Solomon – Top assists provider, key in midfield creativity.
Italy:
Giacomo Raspadori – Goal and assist form under Gattuso make him a vital attacking outlet.
Moise Kean & Mateo Retegui – Leading the scoring charts for Italy in qualifiers.
| Israel (4-2-3-1) | Italy (4-3-3) |
|---|---|
| Daniel Peretz (GK) | Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK) |
| Eliazer Dasa | Giovanni Di Lorenzo |
| Stav Lemkin | Alessandro Bastoni |
| Idan Nachmias | Riccardo Calafiori |
| Roy Revivo | Federico Dimarco |
| Dor Peretz | Nicolo Barella |
| Eliel Peretz | Manuel Locatelli |
| Dan Biton | Sandro Tonali |
| Oscar Gloukh | Matteo Politano |
| Manor Solomon | Mateo Retegui |
| Tai Baribo | Mattia Zaccagni |
Italy are favorites considering their depth and recent resurgence under Gattuso, but Israel’s home form (even on neutral ground) and attacking edge makes this intriguing.
Prediction: Israel 1–3 Italy
Betting Odds & Insights
Italy to win: ~1.44 (AWAY)
Draw: ~4.8
Home (Israel): ~6.5
Probabilities: Italy 69.2%, Israel 15.4%
Expect a high-scoring match with both teams likely on the scoresheet.
Other Key Details
Gennaro Gattuso has taken over Italy and emphasized restoring team spirit after two consecutive failures to qualify.
Referee: Slovenian Slavko Vincic, assisted by German VAR team. Match designated a home game for Israel but played in Hungary.
FAQs
Q1: When is Israel vs Italy World Cup qualifier?
8 September 2025, Group I UEFA Qualifier, held in Debrecen, Hungary (neutral venue).
Q2: Head-to-head record?
Italy dominate with 6 wins and 1 draw in 7 matches; Israel yet to beat them.
Q3: Main players to watch?
Israel: Manor Solomon (assists, creativity).
Italy: Raspadori, Retegui, Kean.
Q4: Prediction?
Italy expected to win comfortably, but Israel to score too. Scoreline prediction: 1–3.
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