Three points. That’s all Italy need to put their qualification for the European Championships next summer in France beyond doubt. Three points, and no matter what Norway or Croatia do, Italy will be locked into the group stage of Euro 2016. Of course, Azerbaijan aren’t just going to roll over and hand Italy those points, but Italy will be laser-focused on reaching their prize.
Italy vs. Azerbaijan live stream, Euro 2016 qualifying: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
A victory for Italy means that they guarantee themselves a spot in Euro 2016.
Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images
Key player -- Marco Verratti (Italy)
The tricky playmaker has had something of a stop-and-start career in the national team so far. Consistently good at club level for the last couple of years, he’s had a hard time settling into the Italy side thanks to the too-similar skill set of Andrea Pirlo, meaning that the pair don’t mix well. When things have clicked for Verratti when he’s worn the Azzurri shirt, though, Italy have been tough to beat -- if he can turn it on in this match, expect to see more of the same.
Factor to watch -- Italy's attack
Injuries and poor form among key players have left Italy struggling to find any kind of consistency, essentially since Euro 2012. Every time someone starts to look dangerous, either they get hurt or something happens that makes their form fall off a cliff. No matter what players or system Antonio Conte or his predecessor Cesare Prandelli have employed to try to get the most out of Italy’s attack, they rarely seem to be able to get in gear.
That said, Italy’s attack has felt very “close” of late, closer to a breakthrough than they’ve been in awhile. You shouldn’t read too much into the attacking results of a match against Azerbaijan. However, if the attacking players combine well, there will be reason to hope for positive results going into a tougher match against Norway next week.
Match Date/Time: Sat., 12 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. local
Venue: National Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan
TV: ESPN Deportes (US - Spanish), Ictimai (Azerbaijan), RAI Uno (Italy), Sky Sports 3/HD (U.K.)
Online: ESPN3, WatchESPN (US), Sky Go (U.K.)
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