Italy v Wales: What the stats say ahead of Euro 2020 clash
None of Italy and Wales’ previous nine meetings have ever ended in a draw, with Italy winning seven to Wales’ two victories. This is their first meeting at a major tournament.
The last three matches between Italy and Wales played on Italian soil have produced 11 goals, all scored by Italy (W3).
Italy and Wales’ latest encounter was 18 years ago, in a European Championship qualifier back in September 2003. On that day, Filippo Inzaghi scored his one and only hat-trick with the Italian national team (4-0).
Italy are unbeaten in their last 29 matches in all competitions (W24 D5) since a 0-1 loss to Portugal in September 2018. If they avoid defeat against Wales, they will equal their all-time longest unbeaten run of 30 games between November 1935 and July 1939.
Wales have made it out of the group stages in their previous two appearances at a major tournament (1958 World Cup, Euro 2016). If they avoid defeat in this game, they’re guaranteed a spot in the knockout stages of this tournament.
Italy are looking to win all three of their group stage matches for the fourth time at a major tournament, previously doing so at the 1978 and 1990 World Cups, and at Euro 2000.
Italy have won each of their last 10 games in all competitions, keeping a clean sheet in every match. They’ve gone 965 minutes without conceding, scoring 31 goals without reply in this run.
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If he keeps a clean sheet, Italy keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma would be the youngest keeper to keep a clean sheet in three consecutive games at the European Championship (22y 115d on the day of the game). He would also be just the second keeper to record a shutout in each of their first three starts in the competition, after Germany’s Andreas Köpke.
Domenico Berardi has been involved in five goals in his last six appearances in all competitions for Italy, scoring four and assisting one.
In their last game against Turkey, Wales’ Gareth Bale became the first player to create five big chances in a match at the European Championship since we have this data available (1980).