Preview: Italy v. Slovenia Euro 2012 Qualifier

September 4th, 2011 | by: elaine | Comments Off

With just a single point needed to qualify for Poland-Ukraine 2012, the Azzurri head back home to the Stadio Artemi Franchi to face Slovenia on Tuesday. But with a less than stellar performance on Friday, they have everything to prove.

Slovenia’s uniforms with the mountain motif remind me of Charlie Brown’s classic shirt, and of his foibles with another kind of football. Lucy always promises to hold the ball for him so he can kick it, and yet she always pulls it away at the last minute. Slovenia are tied for 2nd place in group C, with goal differential in their favor. So, like Charlie Brown, they are hoping we’ll hold the ball for them and let them rack up both 3 points and more goals. And while they lost to Estonia on Friday, they have to be optimistic seeing Italy barely top the Faroe Islands. But I say we pull a Lucy. We take those 3 points from them and leave them on their backs wondering what happened, just like our favorite loveable Blockhead.

I think we are all hoping that what happens in the Faroe Islands stays in the Faroe Islands. The win that looked like a loss of dignity may have given us 3 points, but it was very disheartening going into a match against Slovenia, who troubled us so much more in the opening fixture away. If you’ll remember, Thiago Motta silenced critics with the only goal on the day in his first start for the Azzurri. Prandelli has said he expects more space from Slovenia, even if they also play a 4-4-2, and he will likely not make a lot of changes. Additionally, he is planning to exploit the fact that Slovenia are in a must-win situation to remain in the race for Euros. Whereas the Azzurri should feel pressure to win and book their tickets for Poland-Ukraine, as we face  two tough challenges in Serbia and Northern Ireland in October.

Callups:

Keepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (PSG)

Defenders: Davide Astori (Cagliari), Federico Balzaretti (Palermo), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus) Mattia Cassani (Fiorentina), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Zenit), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter)

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Milan), Daniele DeRossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Inter), Antonio Nocerino (Milan), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)

Forwards: Mario Balotelli (Man City), Antonio Cassano (Milan), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Sebastian Giovinco (Parma), Giampaolo Pazzini (Inter), Giuseppe Rossi (Villareal)

Slovenia are feeling the heat of Group C creeping up behind them with 2nd through 5th place teams all within 2 points of each other. The pressure will be on manager Matjaž Kek to produce a win. He is missing striker Zlatko Dedič and center back Matej Mavrič due to injuries, but has also called up defender Mitja Viler to the squad. Having lost at home 1-0 to Italy in the reverse fixture, and coming off of a 2-1 loss to Estonia on Friday, I expect them to come with both vengeance and survival in mind.

Callups:

Keepers: Vid Belec (FC Crotone), Jasmin Handanović (NK Maribor), Samir Handanović (Udinese Calcio).

Defenders: Mišo Brečko (1. FC Köln), Boštjan Cesar (AC Chievo Verona), Branko Ilić (FC Lokomotiv Moskva), Bojan Jokić (AC Chievo Cerona), Matej Mavrič (Kapfenberger SV), Marko Šuler (KAA Gent), Miral Samardžić (FC Sheriff), Mitja Viler (NK Maribor).

Midfielders: Armin Bačinović (US Città di Palermo), Valter Birsa (Genoa CFC), Josip Iličić (US Città di Palermo), Andraž Kirm (Wisła Kraków), Robert Koren (Hull City AFC), Aleksandar Radosavljevič (ADO Den Haag), Dare Vršič (NK Olimpija Ljubljana).

Forwards: Zlatan Ljubijankič (KAA Gent), Milivoje Novakovič (1. FC Köln), Tim Matavž (FC Groningen), Nejc Pečnik (PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara).

This match is being played in Florence and begins at 20:45 CET on Tuesday, September 6th.

In the USA, it is being broadcast on RAI International/RAI 1.

Please check your local listings.

Apologies, once again, we will be unable to provide a live blog here for this match. Please feel free to post any good feeds you find as well as comments and updates throughout the match in the comments section so everyone can enjoy. Thanks!

Follow Elaine on Twitter @ItaliaWCB just because it’s the right thing to do.