Spain to face tough challenge against Italy on the road to World Cup

The Spanish National Team will have a tough challenge in Italy on their journey to the World Cup in Russia. The Italians were drawn into the same group as Spain, Group G, during the draw held at the Constantine Palace in Saint Petersburg. Alongside Spain and Italy, the other teams in the group are Albania, Israel, Macedonia, and Liechtenstein. Only the group winner will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the eight best runners-up will have a chance to compete for another spot through the playoffs. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) aimed to avoid the two top-ranked teams in Pot 2, France and Italy, so being grouped with the Italians makes the group more challenging and therefore reduces the chances of qualifying for the World Cup.

Italy under Antonio Conte remains a formidable opponent

Italy, under the leadership of Antonio Conte, is going through a process of renewal and generational change, but they are still a strong rival due to their history and charisma. Conte took over from Prandelli after the last World Cup, in which the Italians failed to advance past the group stage. Spain and Italy have faced each other in highly demanding matches in recent times, especially the quarterfinals of the 2008 European Championship and the final of the same tournament in 2012. On both occasions, the Spanish National Team emerged victorious. The outcome of their meetings will likely determine which team qualifies directly and which team goes through the playoffs, as it seems unlikely that Albania, Israel, Macedonia, or Liechtenstein will be able to challenge them for one of the top two spots.

As for the other groups, Group A, with the Netherlands and France, and Group F, with England and Scotland, also feature important matchups. In total, 52 European countries will vie for a place in the World Cup. Russia, as the host, and Gibraltar were not included in the draw. The matches will take place from September 4, 2016, to November 14, 2017. UEFA will organize the games in a "Week of Football" format, from Thursday to Tuesday, with established kick-off times at 18:00 and 20:45. The difficulty of qualifying for a World Cup is always high, but this time, for Spain, it increases even more: Italy awaits them.

Group A: Netherlands, France, Sweden, Luxembourg, Belarus, Bulgaria.

Group B: Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Andorra, Latvia, Faroe Islands.

Group C: Germany, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, San Marino, Azerbaijan, Norway.

Group D: Wales, Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldova, Georgia.

Group E: Romania, Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan.

Group F: England, Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta.

Group G: Spain, Italy, Albania, Israel, Macedonia, Liechtenstein.

Group H: Belgium, Bosnia, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus

Group I: Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland.