After an overhauled team made a bright start to Italy's new UEFA Nations League campaign at the weekend, the European champions host a Hungary side fresh from victory over England.
The League A Group 3 rivals, who both missed out on qualification for Qatar 2022, convene in Cesena on Tuesday evening, in the second of four fixtures played across less than a fortnight.
Match preview
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It was more with trepidation than expectation that Italy welcomed old rivals Germany to Bologna on Saturday night, at the start of their third Nations League campaign, as events over the past few months had brought the Euro 2020 winners back down to earth after the heady success of last summer.
The Azzurri not only missed out on World Cup qualification due to a humbling playoff defeat against North Macedonia during the spring, but they were also heavily beaten by Argentina in the high-profile 'Finalissima' last Wednesday.
With an almost totally different starting XI, though, coach Roberto Mancini managed to guide a new-look side to a merited draw with the Germans, who had cruised along the road to Qatar in style and have generally thrived under the regime of Hansi Flick.
Though Lorenzo Pellegrini's second-half strike at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara was almost immediately cancelled out by an equaliser from Joshua Kimmich, several fresh faces enjoyed the opportunity to impress a sceptical home crowd.
Just days after long-serving captain Giorgio Chiellini bade farewell to La Nazionale - making his 117th and final appearance at Wembley last week - Mancini's men kicked off a new era by holding out for a point; making a relatively positive start to a competition they excelled in last time around.
Italy finished first in their 2020-21 Nations League group ahead of the Netherlands and Poland, qualifying for the tournament's finals, where they were eliminated in the semis by Spain and then claimed the minor consolation of third place by beating Belgium.
As a transitional squad does not have the focus of this winter's World Cup to aim for - and a few weeks off during December could be in prospect - the Italians can therefore tackle their latest group at full tilt. In a section also featuring England and Tuesday's wildcard opponents, though, repeating their previous feats is perhaps a tall task.
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Arriving in Emilia-Romagna on the back of a long-awaited win over England at the weekend, Hungary are likely to prove no pushovers in a challenging group - even at League A level.
Marco Rossi's men top the early table as a result, having only reached the Nations League's top tier by beating Serbia and Russia to promotion at the end of 2020 and started the inaugural edition in the depths of League C.
Apparently 'behind closed doors' in Budapest, the Magyars were cheered on by an enthusiastic young crowd on Saturday, and ended a 60-year wait for victory over their opponents by virtue of a calmly converted penalty from star man Dominik Szoboszlai.
Securing three valuable points on the first matchday, and outplaying a limp England side, sets them up nicely for a tough trio of fixtures in the coming days, as Hungary now play traditional heavyweights Italy and Germany before visiting Wembley, the scene of one of their nation's most famed sporting moments.
Under Rossi - who has worked his way up the coaching ranks, having taken the helm at a succession of Italian minnows including Lumezzane, Pro Patria and Cavese, before a move to Budapest club Honved later led to his appointment as Magyars' manager - the Hungarians have been on an upward curve for some time now.
Not only did they show up well in Euro 2020's 'Group of Death' - holding Germany and France to draws but still bowing out before the knockout stage - Hungary only narrowly missed out on a playoff place for the World Cup and have won four of their last five games.
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Team News
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Following a changing of the guard at the weekend, Roberto Mancini's Italy team is unlikely to feature anywhere near as many alterations on Tuesday, as several players are given the chance to stake their claim as regulars.
A number of Euro 2020-winners - including Domenico Berardi, Marco Verratti and Jorginho - have been released from the squad following the humbling loss to Argentina, while long-term injury victim Federico Chiesa is joined by Lazio striker Ciro Immobile and Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo on the sidelines due to injury. However, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has overcome a finger injury suffered on Sunday.
As Giorgio Chiellini's time with the Azzurri is now over, Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni should helm the hosts' back four once again, while Sandro Tonali - a recent Scudetto winner with Milan - features in a new-look midfield. Sassuolo starlet Davide Frattesi hopes to retain his place alongside Tonali after making his senior debut against Germany, but Nicolo Barella may be drafted back into the side instead.
Leonardo Spinazzola recently made his international comeback, after an Achilles tendon tear during the Euros last summer, and will compete with Cristiano Biraghi for the left-back spot, while teenage supersub Wilfried Gnonto could earn a start in the Azzurri's front three after setting up Lorenzo Pellegrini's goal at Dall'Ara.
Meanwhile, Hungary named a quartet of uncapped players in this month's squad, including 17-year-old striker Zalan Vancsa, but are set to send out a conventional lineup at Stadio Dino Manuzzi.
Marco Rossi's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation should see veteran striker Adam Szalai (81 caps; 25 goals) supported by Bundesliga-based duo Roland Sallai and Dominik Szoboszlai up front.
The latter's clubmate at Leipzig, goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, captains the team once more, while Barnsley's Callum Styles will aim to make an impression at some stage, having featured from the bench against the country of his birth at the weekend.
Italy possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Florenzi, Mancini, Bastoni, Spinazzola; Cristante, Tonali, Barella; Gnonto, Scamacca, Raspadori
Hungary possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Fiola, Orban, At. Szalai; Nego, A. Nagy, Schafer, S. Nagy; Sallai, Szoboszlai; Ad. Szalai
We say: Italy 1-1 Hungary
With a motivated squad which, once convened, becomes more than the sum of its parts, Hungary are capable of achieving several 'surprise' results in Group 3, and could upset the established order once again on Tuesday.
Their more illustrious counterparts may have had a radical makeover, but Italy still look short of confidence in the final third, so expect a low-scoring encounter, which could end all-square.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
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