Back Diego Costa to cap Spain bow by scoring first against Italy

Diego Costa made his Brazil bow in a friendly last year against Italy. He is now set to the same for Spain after switching international allegiance. Back him to open the scoring against the Azzurri with Coral at 4/1.

Four of the last seven meetings between La Roja and Italy have been draws.

Penalty shoot-outs have been needed to separate them in two of those, but there’s no danger of it coming down to that at the Vicente Calderon.

If punters fancy yet another draw, take odds of 3/1.

The Azzurri have beaten Spain just once since 1994 and, coupled with some key absences from pragmatic coach Cesare Prandelli’s squad, that explains their price of 6/1 outsiders for a win here.

If ever there was a prestige friendly, then this is it. This pits the last two World Cup winners against one another.

Holders La Roja are fourth-favourites at 7/1 to retain their global crown in Brazil behind the hosts (3/1), Argentina (5/1) and Germany (11/2).

Champions in 2006, Italy meanwhile are 25/1 shots to win a fifth World Cup on South American soil. Their group at the finals contains England and Uruguay, who are equally rated at 28/1 apiece to go all the way.

Vicente del Bosque is odds-on at 8/15 to steer Spain to yet another victory over these fellow European heavyweights. The Euro 2012 final apart, this tends to be a low-scoring fixture.

Six of the last eight meetings have contained two goals or fewer and this is a friendly, so odds of 10/11 on the total being under 2.5 are a good way to make easy money.

La Roja have kept clean sheets in four of the last six fixtures, so also back them at 21/20 to shut Italy – minus Mario Balotelli and Giuseppe Rossi – out, and at 29/20 for a win to nil.

Depending on how shameless pragmatist Prandelli sets up, Costa could have three Azzurri centre backs to occupy. This should make Italy tough to break down, but La Roja’s determined debutant will not be denied here.