International football returns, Argentina and Italy will lock horns at a sold-out Wembley Stadium this Wednesday in the inaugural ‘La Finalissima’, a renewed version of the Artemio Franchi Cup that was last played in 1993. The clash billed as ‘the cup of champions’ pits the Latin American champions against their European counterparts.
The Azzurri have been denied a spot at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, winning the Cup of champions could alleviate that pain to an extent. They will be looking to repeat their triumph at the Wembley Stadium where they won the EURO 2020 final against England.
Argentina, on the other hand, have already booked their ticket to Qatar on the wings of a 31-match unbeaten streak. Having won the Copa America to end their 28-year wait for a trophy, La Albiceleste are on the cusp of lifting aloft another piece of silverware. BettingPremier’s take on the match will follow.
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When is the Finalissima 2022?
Finalissima 2022 between Italy and Argentina takes place on Wednesday, June 1.
The kick-off will be at 6:45 PM GMT / 2:45 PM ET.
Finalissima 2022 will be held at the Wembley Stadium in England.
Where to watch the Finalissima 2022?
Premier Sports will air the Finalissima 2022 in the UK.
Fox Sports is the exclusive broadcaster of the match in the United States.
DAZN is the destination for the fans in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Those in Canada can also tune in to DAZN to catch the live action.
TVP and Polsat will broadcast the match in Poland.
Optus is the one-stop destination for fans in Australia.
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Italy vs. Argentina Predicted XI
Italy (4-3-3)
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Emerson, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Giovanni Di Lorenzo; Jorginho, Marco Verratti, Nicolo Barella; Nicolo Zaniolo, Lorenzo Insigne, Gianluca Scamacca
Argentina (4-3-3)
Emiliano Martinez; Marcos Acuna, German Pezzella, Nicolas Otamendi, Nahuel Molina; Guido Rodriguez, Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso; Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez
Prediction:
Italy vs. Argentina
This is a tough match to call as the star-studded teams are champions of their respective continents. Argentina beat Brazil to become the Copa America champions while Italy edged England to earn the European crown. The Azzurri, however, have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in a row.
Last time out, Italy pipped Turkey 3-2 and will look to produce a similar outcome in this clash. Argentina have been excellent under Lionel Scaloni. They will be looking to bounce from the 1-1 draw last time out. The sides have met 16 times before with Italy having won six against Argentina’s five. However, the Latin Americans have won all three of the last three meetings.
Domenico Berardi, Ciro Immobile, Federico Chiesa, and Gaetano Castrovilli are unavailable for Italy due to injuries while Cristian Romero is questionable for Argentina. The final will mark the Nerazzurri skipper Giorgio Chiellini’s final appearance for the national team. Italy will put up a good fight for sure but Argentina are the slight favourites to win ‘the cup of champions.’