Italy vs Albania prediction, odds & betting tips – 15/06/2024

Italy open their Euro 2024 campaign with a winnable first fixture against Albania at the BVB Stadion Dortmund Group B on Saturday, 15 June.

Luciano Spalletti’s Azzurri are odds-on favourites to start the tournament in style at the Albanians’ expense in Dortmund. View our Euro 2024 Group B betting tips for the match below.

Italy vs Albania prediction: Italians to put a marker down

Key Stats

• Italy have lost just once in ten fixtures since the appointment of Luciano Spalletti.
• Italy won three and drew one of their four final matches before Euro 2024.
• Albania have lost all four previous encounters with Italy.
• Italy kept a clean sheet in four of their last five assignments.

Pre-game odds and win probability: Bookies favour Italy

• HOME: 2/5 (1.40) – 71.4%
• DRAW: 7/2 (4.50) – 22.2%
• AWAY: 15/2 (8.50) – 11.8%

*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change

Italy are the defending European Champions and the Azzurri will be eager to defend their crown in Germany, despite being named as outsiders in the outright markets. The bookies have made the Italians 2/5 favourites to open their Euro 2024 account against likely Group B whipping boys, Albania, on Saturday.

Albania have competed at the European Championships just once before (2016) and the minnows could find it tough to compete with their high-class opponents in Group B. With just an 11.8% probability of success this weekend, expectations in the Albanian camp will be low. You can find more of our top international football predictions over on our betting tips page.

Last five H2Hs: Italy have a perfect record

Italy eased to a 3-1 win over Albania when the sides last met to contest a friendly international fixture in November 2022 and the Azzurri have won all four previous tussles with the Albanians overall since 2014.

International Match 16/11/22

Albania

1

Italy

3

Europe - World Cup Qualifying 09/10/17

Albania

0

Italy

1

Europe - World Cup Qualifying 24/03/17

Italy

2

Albania

0

International Match 18/11/14

Italy

1

Albania

0

Italy preview: Three at the back for Spalletti?

Luciano Spalletti is tactical flexible, though he favoured a 3-4-3 formation in Italy's final warm-up game before the Euros against Bosnia & Herzegovina and a similar set-up could be deployed against Albania. Atalanta hotshot Gianluca Scamacca is the front-runner to lead the line in attack.

Predicted lineup: Donnarumma (GK), Darmian, Buongiorno, Calafiori, Di Lorenzo, Jorginho, Barella, Dimarco, Pellegrini, Chiesa, Scamacca

UEFA Nations League A 09/09/24

W

Israel

1

Italy

2

UEFA Nations League A 06/09/24

W

France

1

Italy

3

Euro 2024 29/06/24

L

Switzerland

2

Italy

0

Euro 2024 24/06/24

D

Croatia

1

Italy

1

Euro 2024 20/06/24

L

Spain

1

Italy

0

Albania preview: Broja to spearhead the attack

Albania won both of their June friendlies against Liechtenstein and Azerbaijan, scoring three times on each occasion, though matching that output against the Italians should prove infinitely more difficult. Head Coach Sylvinho will look to Elseid Hysaj, Kristjan Asllani and Armando Broja for inspiration this weekend.

Predicted lineup: Strakosha (GK), Hysaj, Djimsiti, Ajeti, Mitaj, Ramadani, Bajrami, Asllani, Seferi, Asani, Broja

UEFA Nations League B 10/09/24

L

Georgia

1

Albania

0

UEFA Nations League B 07/09/24

W

Ukraine

1

Albania

2

UEFA Regions Cup 20/08/24

D

Central Scotland Region

0

Albania

0

Euro 2024 24/06/24

L

Spain

1

Albania

0

Euro 2024 19/06/24

D

Croatia

2

Albania

2

Player to watch – Gianluigi Donnarumma

At 25, Gianluigi Donnarumma is still relatively young in terms of traditional goalkeeping vintage, though the PSG stopper has gathered a wealth of experience from his 65 appearances for Italy and his big-tournament knowhow could be crucial this term.

Donnarumma to lead by example

Keeper Donnarumma will captain the Italians in Germany this summer and his calm demeanour and organisational skills will be vital for the notoriously watertight Azzurri. Donnarumma provided a heroic presence when Italy won Euro 2020 on penalties ahead of England and though the Paris St. Germain star might not be quite as busy against Albania, he will be eager to finish the game with a clean sheet.

The latest Tweets from each camp

Italy

Our defence starts! 🏆 💪
Forza #Azzurri! 🇮🇹 💙#ITAALB #EURO2024 #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/nFQA8QVkml

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) June 15, 2024

Albania

IT’S MATCHDAY! Time to start our Euro 2024 campaign. FORCA SHQIPERI!

🇮🇹 vs 🇦🇱
📍BVB Stadion Dortmund
🕢 9:00 PM CEST | 3:00 PM EST
📺 TV Klan, Klan Kosova, FOX (🇺🇸)#ITAALB

— Albanian Football 🇦🇱 (@AlbanianFooty) June 15, 2024