Italy v Croatia Odds : Back Di Natale to inspire Prandelli’s side to victory
Croatia will be looking to make it two wins from as many Euro 2012 games on Thursday evening when they take on Italy in a crucial Group C clash, although after their impressive performance against World Champions Spain, Italy look a cracking bet at 6/4 with Bet365.
The Croatians ran out 3-1 winners over Republic of Ireland in their opening match, meaning they have set themselves up nicely for qualification from the knockout stages.
It gets tougher and tougher for them though with Italy and Croatia to come. They would love to get something on Thursday, taking the pressure off the final game against Spain.
[oddsgrid event=’1139480′]
In reality, a draw against Italy would probably be sufficient for Slavin Bilic’s men, but this is not the way they operate. They will be positive from the very first whistle, backing the likes of Nikica Jelavic to be clinical going forward.
They will need to improve on their performance against the Irish though as Italy are much more solid at the back and more dangerous going forward.
Italy v Croatia Odds : Bet365 Free Bet Code
Bet365 will kindly offer free bets worth £200/€200 to spend on any Euro 2012 market or game, including all the action this week! Pick up your exclusive Bet365 bet here!
The Italian’s did display this against Spain in their opening game too. They took the lead through the lively Antonio Di Natale after starting the game the better and even if they didn’t hold on – they ended up drawing 1-1 with the European Champions – it was a positive evening for them.
After what was the toughest game of this competitive group, they have games against Croatia and Republic of Ireland to try and book their place in the quarter-finals.
One interesting factor for Italy could be their team selection. Will they stick with Mario Balotelli or bring in Antonio Di Natale who opened the scoring when Italy were playing extremely well against Spain?
All the reports coming from Italy suggest it is the Udinese striker who will lead the line, and if he does he looks a cracking bet to find the net first at 6/1, after showing glimpses of magic in the game against Spain.
Overall, with both teams still confident they can progress to the knockout stages, this should be a lively match. It may be slightly cagey to begin with though and it will end up being about which team takes their chances.
For European giants Italy, the pressure is well and truly on and underdogs Croatia will hope to capitalise on this from 5pm on Thursday evening.
