Here we go, the time has come. This evening, in the setting of Gdansk, Cesare Prandelli's Italy will make its debut at Euro 2012. A debut that is anything but simple, given that the Azzurri will face Spain, champions of everything. Of Europe (2008) and of the World (2010) and on the hunt for another victory that would rightfully bring her into the history of football. Despite the strength of the opponent, it seems to be good to take the field and leave behind all the waste accumulated in recent weeks. “It's useless to deny it, pessimism accompanies us, but it doesn't bother us and the team wants to subvert it. – declared Prandelli in the usual pre-match press conference – We trained well, we prepared for the match in the best possible way”.
The coach is aware of Spain's superiority, but doesn't feel beaten from the start: “They are the team to beat, they have had consistent performance and always play the same way, against any opponent. When Italy plays football, however, they have shown that they can also be competitive against Spain”. Yes, because in Prandelli's management there is a happy precedent: last August 10 in Bari, in a sold out San Nicola, the Azzurri defeated the world champions 2 – 1, thanks to goals from Montolivo and Aquilani. “Little remains of that victory – admitted the coach – because football is fast and burns everything. We haven't even seen the images again, we've changed since then."
It's hard to blame him: from that evening's 4-3-1-2 (and in general for the entire two-year qualifying period) in Gdansk they'll switch to a Juventus-inspired 3-5-2. Choice dictated by injuries (above all that of Giuseppe Rossi) and by the rather precarious physical condition, which led Prandelli to put his ideas in the attic, by virtue of those (winning) of Antonio Conte, who provided the hard core of the national team . But the coach has no intention of changing his philosophy, not even in front of the Spanish dream team: “We won't have to defend close to our penalty area. Even against Russia, despite losing clearly, we created 7 goals, attacking with 5 players”.
In short, Prandelli believes in the company, as does Captain Buffon, who was also present at the press conference: “In football the strongest almost always win, and they are. Sometimes the best win and this leaves some hope. We came here to try to impress. There is awareness and conviction, we will see where they take us. We have the opportunity to make our fans proud of the national team”. The formation will be the one announced on the eve (but yesterday Prandelli didn't want to reveal anything), with De Rossi in central defense and the Cassano-Balotelli duo up front trying to worry the reigning European and world champions.
POSSIBLE FORMATIONS
Spain (4-2-3-1): Casillas; Arbeloa, Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Xabi Alonso; Silva, Xavi, Iniesta; Torres.
On the bench: Valdes, Reina, Albiol, Javi Martinez, Juanfran, Fabregas, Cazorla, Jesus Navas, Pedro, Negredo, Mata, Llorente.
Trainer: Vicente del Bosque.
Unavailable:no
Disqualified: no
Italy (3-5-2): Buffon; Bonucci, De Rossi, Chiellini; May, Marchisio, Pirlo, Thiago Motta, Blazers; Balotelli, Cassano.
On the bench: Sirigu, De Sanctis, Ogbonna, Balzaretti, Abate, Montolivo, Diamonds, Nocerino, Di Natale, Borini, Giovinco.
Trainer: Cesare Prandelli.
Unavailable: Barzagli.
Disqualified: nobody.
Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)
Assistants: Eros – Ring (Hungary)
Fourth official: Collum (Scotland)
