KIEV, June 23: England and Italy, two teams packed with experience but spiced by youth and some volatility, meet in Kiev on Sunday in probably the most intriguing of the Euro 2012 quarter-final ties.
Clashing for the first time in more than a decade, England have met Italy only twice at major tournaments with the Italians winning a 1980 European Championship group game 1-0 in Turin and a 1990 World Cup third-place playoff 2-1 in Bari.
Both teams, enjoying unbeaten runs in competitive fixtures lasting 11 and 13 games respectively, are built on sound defence and counter-attack.
Both use flexible versions of 4-4-2 and have thoughtful and pragmatic managers in Roy Hodgson and Cesare Prandelli.
After winning Group ‘D’ ahead of highly-rated France, England head into Sunday’s test in Kiev with a mounting sense of belief that they can prolong their stay in the tournament.
“If we can go about the job in the way we are doing at the moment we will make a game of it and who knows what will happen,” Hodgson said.
“It will be another even encounter, another game that will swing either way. The good thing is we are there, we are taking part and still in the competition and we want to be in the competition because we have really enjoyed it.”
England’s task will be to chalk up a more significant first — beating a major footballing power in the knockout rounds of a tournament away from home soil.Not surprisingly, Hodgson believes that victory would give England “a bit of an extra glow”.
“It would put one of those nasty statistics for a team of England’s stature to rest,” he said.
Previous knockout victories outside England have been restricted to the World Cups against Paraguay (1986), Belgium and Cameroon (1990), Denmark (2002) and Ecuador (2006).
While England are battling the weight of history, the Azzurri are progressing at Euro 2012 despite Italian football being immersed in police investigations. It’s not unfamiliar territory for the Italians, who won the 2006 World Cup after a domesticfootballing scandal.
Keeping the Euro 2012 run going is helping to restore some pride in Italian football, though the side plays down the trouble back home. “We don’t really take it as extra motivation — this team always has great professionals and great players,” midfielderDaniele De Rossi said. “It’s just a characteristic that Italians carry. Overcoming difficulties is in our DNA.”
Prandelli has been forced to reshuffle his defence following the injury to rugged centre-back Giorgio Chiellini, who is likely to be replaced by Leonardo Bonucci.
Prandelli is wary of an England side which he believes have found the “right equilibrium” while maintaining the Azzurri have nothing to fear.
“We all know the English character, they never hold anything back but they also have some good creative players,” he said.
England are expected to be unchanged and to stifle Italy’s flair, Hodgson has stressed the need to remained disciplined just likein the previous five unbeaten matches since he took charge.
“The particular challenge with Italy is in the midfield area where they have a lot of very gifted and experienced players,” Hodgson said. “Players who are technically good on the ball.”—Agencies