SPAIN – ITALY Match Preview
Ernst Happel, Vienna
Sunday 22 June 2008 – 20.45CET (20.45 local time)
Matchday 16
Italy coach Roberto Donadoni knows that his side will be need to be watchful of the pace within Spain’s attack when they meet in the last UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-final in Vienna on Sunday but he has urged his players to “enjoy themselves” on the ultimate stage.
Friendly encounter
Having conceded four goals in the tournament so far the Azzurri must next try to thwart the feared strikeforce of David Villa and Fernando Torres, who shared five goals between them as Spain won Group D with a perfect record. Although Donadoni recognises the strengths of a side that beat them 1-0 in a friendly in March, he is confident Italy can build on Tuesday’s Group C win against France by prolonging an undefeated run in competitive matches against Spain that goes back 88 years.
Spanish praise
“We played Spain recently and they are a great side,” he said. “They haven’t always done well in big tournaments but this will spur them on so we must be just as motivated as them. They are not very physical but they have great pace. We’ve learned a lot from each other but you can’t compare a friendly with the quarter-finals of a EURO. And we have our strengths too. The boys must remember to enjoy themselves, because to enjoy yourself you have to play well. If they do that they can achieve anything.”
Conundrum
Although Donadoni insists the Azzurri will not alter the way they play, one conundrum looms large for the 44-year-old, and that is how to replace Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. Both AC Milan midfielders, who played so well in the defeat of France, are suspended for the match. Massimo Ambrosini should return while Pirlo’s place could go to AS Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani – a decision Donadoni will only make on the morning of the match. Italy’s only injury concern since their last outing is the knee problem that has ended defender Andrea Barzagli’s tournament.
Perfect record
Spain coach Luis Aragonés also admitted that he is in a quandary over team selection but for very different reasons. While Italy lost their first group match and drew their second, the Spaniards have a 100 per cent record in the competition so far. The same XI won their first two matches against Russia (4-1) and Sweden (2-1) before Aragonés made ten changes for the 2-1 defeat of holders Greece. On the eve of Sunday’s contest, the 69-year-old insisted he had “no team in mind”. He was, however, sure of victory.
‘Convinced’
“I am convinced we will win,” he said, as Spain aim to put six UEFA European Championship quarter-final defeats behind them. “I have no doubt that these players are ready to give 110 per cent. We have to think positively, and this side is doing just that. My glass is half-full and inside I am sure we are going to go through.” Aragonés, who cited Fabio Grosso and Luca Toni as potential danger men, will be buoyed by defender Carles Puyol’s return from a foot injury and now believes Spain can win the Henri Delaunay trophy for the first time since 1964. “I believe that this squad can put an end to our problems once and for all,” he concluded.
Buffon steering Azzurri in right direction
Having played a crucial part in Italy’s progress to the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is once again expecting to be kept busy against Spain in Vienna. But while the Iberians are narrow favourites to go through to the last four, the Azzurri No1 is relishing the fact that “fate lies in our hands”.
‘Fate’
Buffon came to his side’s rescue when saving an 81st-minute penalty against Romania in Italy’s second game in Group C, and another fine display on Tuesday saw the Azzurri edge past France and into the knockout stages. Had the Netherlands lost to Romania it would have been irrelevant – they would have been eliminated. “Last week we also had to keep an eye on what was happening in the other match,” said Buffon. “Now though, our fate lies in our own hands. That’s important. I’m not saying that we’re going to win but we won’t disappoint.” Italy failed to shine the last time the sides met in a friendly at the end of March in Elche, the goalkeeper unable to keep out David Villa’s stunning second-half strike. Buffon insists it will have no bearing on their meeting in Vienna, though, explaining: “That match doesn’t count because I think we played better than them on the night. We gave them far more problems than they did us and this clash will be a completely different affair; it is a match that means a lot.
Dual threat
Villa played alongside Fernando Torres that night, their partnership still in the early stages, awkward, the pair fumbling to get on the same wavelength. They have clicked in Austria and Switzerland, however, registering five goals between them – some cause for concern for Buffon and Italy. “Those two are deadly and I’ll probably have them in front of me more than their team-mates,” said the Juventus stalwart. “But they’re not the only ones that can hurt us because the midfield also boasts plenty of quality players that can cause problems with long shots.” Rubén de la Red and Cesc Fàbregas each struck goals from midfield as Spain claimed three straight victories in Group D, a run that allowed Luis Aragonés to rest ten players against Greece on Wednesday, not that Buffon thinks the extra rest will be a factor. “Determination, pride, teamwork: that’s what counts,” he concluded. “In matches like these everyone has to row in the same direction and in this respect we are second to none. When we have got the results in the past it’s down to that.”
Puyol urges Spain to raise their game
On the eve of the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-final between the sides in Vienna, Spain defender Carles Puyol paid fulsome tribute to the winning mentality of Italian footballers as he acknowledged that one of the biggest tests of his career lies ahead.
‘Absolute maximum’
Excluding Olympic Games, Spain have never beaten the Azzurri in a competitive fixture yet, with David Villa’s goal earning them a 1-0 friendly victory at the end of March and their form in the group stage – taking maximum points as Italy struggled to progress – the momentum would seem to be with La Furia Roja this time round. As a close friend of former FC Barcelona and Italy midfielder Demetrio Albertini, and a long-standing admirer of Paolo Maldini, Puyol does not expect it to be that simple, explaining: “I admire the Italian footballing mentality. Every Italian player always plays to his absolute maximum and I love that in sport.”
Albertini link
Albertini, now vice-president of the Italian Football Federation, spent a year alongside Puyol at Camp Nou in 2005 and the Barça captain revealed the pair had been in regular contact since Italy booked their place in the last eight on Tuesday. “Over the last few days, since we knew who our quarter-final opponents were going to be, I’ve been chatting a fair bit to Albertini because he’s a good pal,” he said. “It’s been a mixture of discussing the game and joking about which one of us is going out. Beyond trying my best to make sure it’s us in the semi-final I was happy to wish him
good luck.”
Toni threat
One of the major obstacles to Spain’s hopes of progress will be Luca Toni, whom Puyol is likely to be given the responsibility of marking at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion. The FC Bayern München striker has not found the net so far in these finals but, having scored five times in six qualifying appearances, his threat is obvious. “He might not have scored in this tournament so far but there are plenty of goals in his boots,” Puyol said. “Toni’s team constantly looks to feed him and you have to be attentive not just to stopping him scoring but to where the second ball lands and to who’s working off his knock-downs. It will be a physical battle, he’s very strong but it will also be a case of paying total attention for over 90 minutes and offering no chances. Italy are a strong team and don’t need to play well to win. We will have to be at our very best if we are to defeat them.”
