PORTO, June 21: Denmark's fine wing play and Sweden's gifted strikers are likely to decide a Euro 2004 Group 'C' decider on Tuesday played in the rarefied atmosphere of Italian-generated conspiracy theories.
The Swedes fear Denmark's unusual style for a Scandinavian team with Jesper Gronkjaer and Martin Joergensen switching wings, and surprise ploys at set pieces. But they believe strongly in the capacity for surprise of their own pedigree striker Henrik Larsson and the unpredictable genius of Zlatan Ibrahim ovich who scored a brilliant late equaliser against Italy on Friday.
Sweden's 1-1 draw with the Italians left them and Denmark, who beat Bulgaria 2-0, top of the group with four points each. Italy have two and Bulgaria none. Italians are worried that Denmark and Sweden could end up with a draw of 2-2 or more that, assuming Italy beat Bulgaria, would leave all three on five points each and knock Italy out on head-to-head results.
Denmark drew 0-0 with Italy on Monday. The Swedes called the idea of a Scandinavian conspiracy Machiavellian. "We're just going to go out there to try and do our best to win," Larsson said on Sunday.
Sweden's scout Benny Lennartsson, a key associate of joint coaches Lars Lagerback and Tommy Soderberg, thinks Denmark were the best team in the group. Sweden, whose defender Teddy Lucic is still unavailable through injury, will probably start with the same team that took the field against Italy.
Denmark could bring Gronkjaer on from the start for Dennis Rommedahl. Gronkjaer, just back with the squad after the death of his mother and short of practice, had to come on sooner than planned against Bulgaria because Rommedahl was injured but stayed the pace and scored a good stoppage-time goal.
ITALY v BULGARIA
LISBON: Cool people with a head for figures will be needed on Tuesday night to determine whether or not Italy advance to the quarterfinals following their Group 'C' match with already eliminated Bulgaria in Guimaraes.
Italy will qualify for the last eight as long as they beat Bulgaria and Sweden and Denmark, who meet in Porto, do not draw 2-2 or higher. Other scenarios are possible depending on how the two matches finish.
Italy's cause is not helped by suspensions to Francesco Totti, Gennaro Gattuso and skipper Fabio Cannavaro and on Monday coach Giovanni Trapattoni also faced an injury doubt over midfielder Cristiano Zanetti.
Zanetti, who played in the opening 0-0 draw with Denmark but did not feature in the 1-1 draw with Sweden on Friday, missed training on Sunday with a muscle problem. Vieri, who marched out of Sunday's news conference following his protest at media coverage, did not join the in-house training match as he is suffering pain in his left knee.
Vieri worked out in the gym and had a massage. He is not believed to be at risk for the Bulgaria match that Italy must win to have a chance of reaching the quarterfinals.
Matteo Ferrari and Marco Materazzi are the two main options to replace Cannavaro in the centre of defence, while Gattuso's slot in midfield could go to Stefano Fiore or Mauro Camoranesi.
Bulgaria, already eliminated after defeats against Sweden and Denmark, will be without captain Stilian Petrov and centre back Rosen Kirilov who are suspended - and almost certainly injured defender Ivailo Petkov. -Reuters
