Italy v Uruguay Prediction 30th June 2013 – Confederations Cup

Italy v Uruguay Betting Preview
The third place play off is the the undercard to the final of the Confederations Cup itself on Sunday. This actually has the promise of being a good match on paper, however, it could ultimately suffer from the heat and the two sides having played a lot of matches. It could even lead to some personnel changes in the starting line ups. This match may struggle to get up to full speed because of the temperatures and exertions already put out, and nothing riding on the match. Only eleven places in the FIFA World Rankings separate the two sides, and it should be an evenly matched game out on the pitch.

Italy v Uruguay Betting Odds at online bookmaker Ladbrokes
Uruguay 13/8, Italy 6/4, draw 12/5

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Italy v Uruguay Recommended Bet:
The two nations will try and pick up the pieces of semi final disappointments. Overall in the 2013 Confederations Cup, Italy have produced the better quality football of the two nations playing off for third place. Not only did they push Brazil hard in their group decider, but then took World Champions Spain all the way to a penalty shoot out and they had their chances to take the win too. Coach Cesare Prandelli deserves huge credit for some brilliant tactical awareness throughout the tournament and he has gotten the best out of his squad. They have just fallen short when it has matter most, but it hasn’t been for the want of trying. They have been unlucky, hitting the woodwork seven times in the tournament, but they are an expansive side who likes to attack and they work tremendously hard in closing down opponents.

The exhausting semi final against Spain won’t have helped their cause at all, as they looked pretty much out on their feet during extra time. They left everything out on the pitch, hanging in there with Spain being the stronger finisher of the two sides. But they have their strengths, they like to get forward and they are very resilient. They are without main striker Mario Balotelli, so Stephan El Shaarawy is likely to get a start. Overall, they have been better than Uruguay during the tournament, but it is the South Americans who are favourites. The extra day of rest that Uruguay have had, could be telling in the end. Uruguay were undone by a late Brazil goal in their semi final match up. Coach Oscar Tabarez is still trying to get the best out of his side, who still haven’t been able to piece everything together tactically.

They have never really looked all that threatening, but did get Brazil on the back foot for a while in their semi final. For some reason they can’t find more goals, and they look a bit hesitant to really commit to too much going forward. The coach will now have to make a decision about keeping Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan together up front, with the production from them being pretty low. While Italy have had less rest, for Uruguay, this will be their 7th match in the last 25 days, so they have been busy. They perhaps will want this more, for nothing more than confidence. They have a bigger focus on trying to get back to Brazil next summer, their qualification still in doubt. La Celeste looked a world beating side when they claimed the 2011 Copa America, but it’s been downhill since. Following that win against Italy in November of 2011, La Celeste have won just six of nineteen matches since.

This may just all play out to nothing more than a battle of fitness, as opposed to being the great game of football that it could have been. The South Americans may just have the edge and therefore a Draw/Uruguay half time/full time bet for value of 5/1 at online betting site Ladbrokes.

In the Italy v Uruguay head to head, there have been seven previous meetings, and the tally stands at two wins apiece. This will be their first ever Confederations Cup meeting. The last time they came together was in that 2011 friendly meeting, where Italy were being punished for being wasteful in front of goal.

Stat Attack
Edinson Cavani has just six goals in his last 28 appearances for his country
Italy became the first team in 16 games to keep a clean sheet against Spain
Italy have hit the woodwork seven times in the tournament, half of the 14 in total by all teams