Italy found seeing off Azerbaijan much more difficult than anticipated in Palermo on Friday, though eventually they recorded a 2-1 victory to stay joint-top of their Euro 2016 qualification group with their closest competitors, Croatia. They shouldn't have a problem maintaining their perfect start on Monday, as they travel to play minnows Malta in Ta' Qali.
Malta vs. Italy live stream: How to watch Euro 2016 qualifying online
Italy shouldn’t have a problem seeing off Malta on Monday.
Claudio Villa
Malta haven't won a competitive match since they picked up a shock victory away in Armenia over a year ago, and have lost all of their Euro 2016 qualifying games so far without scoring a single goal. Against what is pretty much a full-strength Italy side, they should be expecting another defeat. These sides met twice in qualification for the Brazil World Cup, with the Azzurri running out 2-0 winners on both occasions.
Key player - Ciro Immobile (Italy)
On the back of last season’s impressive showing in Serie A, striker Ciro Immobile earned himself a big money move from Juventus to Borussia Dortmund. So far, he’s yet to really find his feet, having scored just one Bundesliga goal in six games. He’s only scored once in seven appearances for Italy, and he’ll have to improve on both domestic and international fronts if he wants to keep his place in Antonio Conte’s starting lineup.
Key question - Will Antonio Conte alter his attack?
Italy have looked solid but unspectacular under Conte so far, though they still need to work on their attacking play. The strike partnership that played against Azerbaijan and Italy -- Immobile and Simone Zaza -- is yet to really convince, with both players looking slightly too similar to play together effectively. If Conte wants to get the best from his squad, it’s possible Conte will have to start a more mobile, creative outlet like Sebastian Giovinco up top alongside one of his pure poachers. It’ll be interesting to see if he experiments against Malta.
Match Date/Time: Monday, 8:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Ta’ Qali National Stadium, Ta’ Qali, Malta
TV: Sportsnet regional (Canada), Sky Sports Red Button (U.K.), TVM 2 (Malta), RAI Uno (Italy)
Online: Watch ESPN (U.S. - English), ESPN Deportes+ (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet World Now (Canada)
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