Italians prepare in the Potteries
Italy v Russia Today, Anfield 4.30pm
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Your support makes all the difference.The image of Stanley Matthews draped from lamp posts in the host cities of Euro 96 - not to mention the great man's appearance at Wembley on Saturday - may have acted as a reminder for the Italians.
While one idiotic team travelled 6,000 miles to China to get a pre-tournament kick-about (and then wondered why they looked tired), Italy went to Matthews' spiritual home to hone their preparations, beating a Stoke City side comprising youth team members and YTS hopefuls 2-0 on Saturday night. Despite the less-than-compelling margin of victory, you suspect the latter was a better warm-up.
Having watched the other favourites for Group C, Germany, defeat the Czech Republic with their feet off the accelerator, the Italians begin their Euro 96 tonight at Anfield against Russia knowing defeat will make their chances of qualification to the quarter-finals extremely difficult. The pressure is on them rather than their less-fancied opponents.
After the Stoke match, Arrigo Sacchi, the Italian coach, admitted: "The game was slow, mainly because of tiredness or possibly for psychological reasons. I watched the video attentively on Sunday and asked myself who was motivated and who wasn't. It helped me learn which players were concentrated. I want maximum commitment against Russia."
As expected, Fabrizio Ravanelli, who has scored five goals in nine internationals, has been left out of the starting line-up. Instead Gianfranco Zola and Pierluigi Casiraghi will form the strike force. Sacchi plans to use the silver-haired Ravanelli - the scorer of Juventus' goal in their European Cup final defeat of Ajax - in the second game against the Czech Republic, with Enrico Chiesa also hoping for a look-in.
The Russians have the opposite problem to an abundance of riches, as injuries have reduced coach Oleg Romanstev's options. Key defenders, Spartak Moscow's Dimitri Khlestov and Ramiz Mamedov, had to be left behind while Sporting Gijon's Igor Lediakhov, who would have been his playmaker, is also out.
Consequently much responsibility will fall on Real Oviedo's Viktor Onopko, who can play either in midfield or defence, and Everton's Andrei Kanchelskis, who is a potential match-winner on the right wing. Certainly, the Russian strength is up front rather than at the back.
ITALY: Peruzzi (Juventus); Mussi (Parma), Apolloni (Parma), Costacurta (Milan), Maldini (Milan), Di Livio (Juventus), Di Matteo (Lazio), Albertini (Milan), Del Piero (Juventus), Zola (Parma), Casiraghi (Lazio).
RUSSIA: To be announced.
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