Heavier is the absence of almost all of the starting midfield, as happened against Brazil, or that of the symbol man of this national team, that Balotelli eager for revenge against Spain after the merciless 0-4 draw a year ago at the Europeans?
We will only find out on Thursday night, on a warm Brazilian evening, when between one protest and another the champions of all of Spain and Prandelli's Italy will take the field in a remake of the continental final 12 months ago, which ended as we all remember . This time the Azzurri won't have the excuse of being more tired than their opponents, because as the coach himself underlined, there is almost a week to recover, and above all they will find Pirlo, De Rossi, and even that Montolivo forced to leave the field prematurely against the green-and-gold .
The midfield, which has been a team's axis of strength since football is football, will therefore be complete this time. Instead, the star will be missing, the spearhead of this national team: Balotelli had sworn it to the Red Furies after the tears of Kiev, and instead a few too many blows suffered by David Luiz and Dante will force him to miss the semifinal of the Confederations Cup (same fate for full-back Abate: the tournament is already over for him).
Does Italy have to regret or is there any reason to smile? According to the alternatives, there is something to worry about: while in fact the midfield department has found valid substitutes in Aquilani and Giaccarini (perhaps the best blue player of this tournament), in attack the poor form of El Sharaawy will force Prandelli to fall back even on the evergreen Alberto Gilardino, who however is difficult to imagine winning in a solitary duel against the Piqué-Ramos duo.
However, it must be said that with the starting midfield Italy will rediscover its game, which is the hallmark of this team even more than the presence or absence of Balotelli. In fact, SuperMario, with the exception of the first match against Mexico, was not so decisive in this tournament, above all against Brazil, when he was stolen by any Giaccarini and lost the long-distance duel with Neymar.
Rather, what is worrying, and few talk about it, should be the stability of the defense: 8 goals conceded in three games seem too many, especially the 4 against the not irresistible Mexico and Japan, with several oversights of historical bulwarks such as Barzagli and Buffon. So, dear Italy, don't mourn Balotelli's absence: rediscover your defensive tradition and hide the ball from Spain with the best midfield. So you can, even without Super Mario.
