Azzuri Battle With Sweden and Ibrakadabra
Azzuri Battle With Sweden and Ibrakadabra
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TOULOUSE - Having secured a surprising three points against Belgium, Italy will look to book their place in the last 16 when they do battle with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sweden in Toulouse this night.
Antonio Conte's men stunned many by putting in a near flawless display against the favoured Red Devils, downing them thanks to goals by Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle, along with a suffocating defence that left Marc Wilmots' side with little to work with.
While things might look easier on paper against Sweden, who needed a Ciaran Clark own goal to rescue a draw against Republic of Ireland, the Azzurri can ill afford to underestimate the Scandinavian side.
That's largely due to the presence of Ibrahimovic, a player Italy know well as Ibrakadabra from his time playing in Serie A for the likes of Juventus, Inter and AC Milan.
Sweden finished qualifying with 11 goals to his name, and after playing a part in the Azzurri's elimination from Euro 2004 thanks to a spectacular back heel strike, Conte will no doubt focus his attentions on stopping the striker in order to claim three points.
Injuries and Suspensions
Graziano Pelle has been hampered by a foot contusion over the past few days, but after returning to training on Wednesday, he is expected to start.
One of Marco Parolo, Emanuele Giaccherini and Antonio Candreva could be rested given the amount of running they did against Belgium, with Alessandro Florenzi ready to replace them, though at this time Conte is leaning towards starting the trio. Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Eder and Thiago Motta are all one yellow away from a ban.
On the other side, Mikael Lustig was forced off against Ireland due to a groin injury, and he isn't expected to feature on Friday. Victor Lindelof picked up a yellow and will be banned should he collect one more.
History
Italy and Sweden have met on 22 occasions, with the Azzurri holding the upper hand thanks to 10 wins compared to the Scandinavians and their six. Their most recent battle came in a 2009 friendly, with Giorgio Chiellini's goal proving the difference in Cesena.
Prior to that, the two teams squared off at Euro 2004, when an Ibrahimovic back heel cancelled out an Antonio Cassano opener, forcing both teams to settle for a 1-1 draw.
It proved costly for the Azzurri as they were eliminated despite defeating Bulgaria in the final group stage game, while Sweden went through after a controversial 2-2 draw with Denmark.
In this match, Sweden should watch Leonardo Bonucci. The Azzurri's outstanding display against Belgium has earned widespread praise, with the Juventus defender being lauded as the best in the world by many due to his outing.
His outstanding pass setup Giaccherini's opening strike, resulting in La Gazzetta dello Sport stating he looked like a mix of Franz Beckenbauer and Franco Baresi on the night.
Although Bonucci - and his teammates in defence - will have their hands full in marking Ibrahimovic, another strong showing from the Juventus man will be crucial if Italy want to claim another result.
Line Up:
Italy : Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Candreva, Parolo, De Rossi, Giaccherini, De Sciglio; Pelle, Eder
Sweden : Isaksson; Lindelöf, Granqvist, Johansson, Olsson; Larsson, Lewicki, Källström, Forsberg;
Guidetti, Ibrahimovic
Antonio Conte's men stunned many by putting in a near flawless display against the favoured Red Devils, downing them thanks to goals by Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle, along with a suffocating defence that left Marc Wilmots' side with little to work with.
While things might look easier on paper against Sweden, who needed a Ciaran Clark own goal to rescue a draw against Republic of Ireland, the Azzurri can ill afford to underestimate the Scandinavian side.
That's largely due to the presence of Ibrahimovic, a player Italy know well as Ibrakadabra from his time playing in Serie A for the likes of Juventus, Inter and AC Milan.
Sweden finished qualifying with 11 goals to his name, and after playing a part in the Azzurri's elimination from Euro 2004 thanks to a spectacular back heel strike, Conte will no doubt focus his attentions on stopping the striker in order to claim three points.
Injuries and Suspensions
Graziano Pelle has been hampered by a foot contusion over the past few days, but after returning to training on Wednesday, he is expected to start.
One of Marco Parolo, Emanuele Giaccherini and Antonio Candreva could be rested given the amount of running they did against Belgium, with Alessandro Florenzi ready to replace them, though at this time Conte is leaning towards starting the trio. Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Eder and Thiago Motta are all one yellow away from a ban.
On the other side, Mikael Lustig was forced off against Ireland due to a groin injury, and he isn't expected to feature on Friday. Victor Lindelof picked up a yellow and will be banned should he collect one more.
History
Italy and Sweden have met on 22 occasions, with the Azzurri holding the upper hand thanks to 10 wins compared to the Scandinavians and their six. Their most recent battle came in a 2009 friendly, with Giorgio Chiellini's goal proving the difference in Cesena.
Prior to that, the two teams squared off at Euro 2004, when an Ibrahimovic back heel cancelled out an Antonio Cassano opener, forcing both teams to settle for a 1-1 draw.
It proved costly for the Azzurri as they were eliminated despite defeating Bulgaria in the final group stage game, while Sweden went through after a controversial 2-2 draw with Denmark.
In this match, Sweden should watch Leonardo Bonucci. The Azzurri's outstanding display against Belgium has earned widespread praise, with the Juventus defender being lauded as the best in the world by many due to his outing.
His outstanding pass setup Giaccherini's opening strike, resulting in La Gazzetta dello Sport stating he looked like a mix of Franz Beckenbauer and Franco Baresi on the night.
Although Bonucci - and his teammates in defence - will have their hands full in marking Ibrahimovic, another strong showing from the Juventus man will be crucial if Italy want to claim another result.
Line Up:
Italy : Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Candreva, Parolo, De Rossi, Giaccherini, De Sciglio; Pelle, Eder
Sweden : Isaksson; Lindelöf, Granqvist, Johansson, Olsson; Larsson, Lewicki, Källström, Forsberg;
Guidetti, Ibrahimovic
(rnz)
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