Paraguay – functional rather than spectacular
Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino has used his pre-tournament friendlies for experimentation, both in terms of formation and personnel, making his starting line-up for the opening game against Italy...
View ArticleSlovakia may quietly sneak into knockout stage
This is Slovakia’s first-ever appearance at a major international tournament, so you can be forgiven for knowing little about them. That might be their biggest strength – the surprise factor. Not only...
View ArticleItaly’s problem with creativity must be overcome
No-one is talking about Italy ahead of this tournament, despite them being the holders, despite them breezing through qualification, despite them having received the most favourable draw of any side....
View ArticleItaly 1-1 Paraguay: Italy dominate possession but struggle to create
Italy dominated the game but rarely provided a real goal threat, whilst Paraguay sat back, defended and were happy to rely on set-pieces. Marcello Lippi’s switch to 4-4-2 on the hour mark resulted in...
View ArticleSlovakia 3-2 Italy: Vittek’s hold-up play the key to victory
A crushing defeat for Italy, but a deserved win for Slovakia, who had a more cohesive side and a clearer gameplan. Marcello Lippi started with three central midfielders (Rino Gattuso was recalled) and...
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