Italy vs Bulgaria: UEFA World Cup qualifier live stream, TV channel, how to watch online, news, odds, time
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Italy will be in action for the first time since their UEFA Euro 2020 success on Thursday when they face Bulgaria in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Florence. Roberto Mancini’s men are on an epic unbeaten run in 34 matches and are now continental champions after beating England on penalties at Wembley Stadium last time. Should they qualify, they take to Qatar as one of the favorites for the title.
Here’s how to watch the match and what you need to know:
Display of information
- Date: Thursday 2 September | Time: 14:45 ET
- Location: Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence, Italy
- Live stream: ESPN +
- Odds: ITA -1400; Draw +800; BUL +3500 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Italy: The top of Group C with nine points from nine, Bulgaria will be a relatively straightforward warm-up for Switzerland before Lithuania gets this international break. Provided they can navigate the trip to Basel, the Italians could target a 100% qualification win rate.
Bulgaria: With a point from three matches so far, the chances are already small that we will see Bulgaria go to Qatar. With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see more and more players under the age of 30 join the squad as they will earn for future qualifying campaigns.
Forecast
A reasonably straightforward victory for the European champions. Italy picked up right where they left off when they won the euro and go easy in this match Pick: Italy 3-1 Bulgaria.