Image copyright: Getty Images
2022/23 UEFA Nations League
League A - Group 3
Matchday 2
Italy v Hungary
Stadio Dino Manuzzi
Cesena, Italy
Tuesday, 7 June 2022
Kick-off is at 19h45
Italy will be targeting nothing less than three points when they face Hungary at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi on matchday 2 in the
UEFA Nations League on Tuesday, June 7.
The Azzurri opened their Group 3 account with a 1-1 draw against Germany in Bologna on Saturday when Lorenzo Pellegrini saw his 70th-minute opener quickly cancelled out by Joshua Kimmich three minutes later.
Roberto Mancini is in the process of rebuilding his squad following the European champions' failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Just three days after losing 3-0 to Argentina in the CONMEBOL/UEFA Finalissima, Mancini named an inexperienced line-up for the clash with the Germans and he was pleased with their performance on the night.
"It's a pity we conceded the equaliser straight after, we were naive, because it was not an easy game, especially at the start," he told RAI Sport.
"It was the first time they played together, they did a great job, they suffered when they had to, attacked when they had to. The lads did really well, they played on a par with what is a great national team at this moment."
The Magyars lead the group by two points after recording a shock 1-0 victory over England in Budapest on Saturday, courtesy of Dominik Szoboszlai's 66th-minute penalty.
Marco Rossi's team have now won four of their last five games, the only blip being a 1-0 defeat to Serbia during the previous international break.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Rossi praised the efforts of his players against the Three Lions and warned they are capable of causing more upsets in the group.
"I saw the team I wanted against England: concentrated and motivated, which isn't easy at the end of a long season," he told the Calciomercato website.
"I think it was a deserved victory, we had several chances to score another goal, including one huge opportunity.
"No coach prepares his team to lose, we know that often we're playing against teams who are far stronger than us on paper, but we can still snatch a few points off them."
Hungary halted a seven-game winless streak against Italy when they ran out 3-1 victors in their most recent encounter on 22 August 2007.
Head-to-Head record:
Matches - 33
Hungary - 8
Italy - 16
Draws - 9
Sign up at Betway and enjoy solid action & heart-racing thrills when you Bet on the UEFA Champions League, sign up now for your 100% match up to NG 100,000 Free Bet.
Click Bet Now below to register a Betway Sports Betting account for free!
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Download the Betway App.