Italy Hosts Israel in Crucial UEFA Nations League Match Amid Enhanced Security

Italy is set to face Israel in a pivotal Matchday 4 clash of the 2024/2025 UEFA Nations League group stage in League A. The match, scheduled for October 14, will kick off at 8:45 PM local time at the Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy. This encounter is critical for Italy, who currently top Group A2 with 7 points, just one ahead of France.

The Italian team, managed by Luciano Spalletti, is expected to make some key changes in their lineup. Guglielmo Vicario will start in goal instead of Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Giacomo Raspadori is likely to replace Lorenzo Pellegrini, who received a red card in the previous match against Belgium. The probable lineup for Italy includes Vicario; Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori; Cambiaso, Frattesi, Ricci, Tonali, Dimarco; Raspadori; and Retegui.

Israel, on the other hand, is struggling in the group, having failed to earn any points so far. They need to secure at least one point in this match to keep their slim hopes of survival alive. Israel’s lineup is expected to feature Glazer; Fleingol, Nachmias, Baltaks; Abada, Jaber, Abu Fani, Haziza; Gandelman, Gloch; and Baribo.

The match will be played in front of a reduced capacity crowd due to extra security precautions. Only around 12,000 attendees are expected, including local students and amateur footballers, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Israel’s involvement in it. Additional security measures, including a Red Zone around the stadium and the deployment of 1,000 extra law enforcement officers, have been put in place.

For fans looking to watch the match, it will be available live on various platforms. In Italy, the match can be streamed for free on RaiPlay, accessible globally using a VPN. In other countries, the match will be broadcast on channels such as DAZN in Canada and Germany, Disney+ in Argentina, and Fubo in the USA. Nigerian viewers can catch the action on DStv Now and SuperSport OTT 2.