Quoteneither had Israel until last saturday....Originally Posted by eirebhoy
They won't either. They're not nearly as bad as people on here are making them out to be. Even if the WC win of 3 years ago can be ignored they were only a penalty shoot out away from reaching the Euro semis, and if they had won the penalties I would have fancied them to win it (ie. beat Russia in Semi and Germany in the Final).
Berbatov seems up for it normally when he fancies it Bulgaria play well.
Bulgaria know they can't lose and the Italians are probably of the mindset that if they draw tomorrow night they will have to get something out of the Irish game in October so a victory would obviosuly put them in pole position knowing a draw in Dublin would make them group winners.
Hoping for a draw!
This is not the greatest Italian side we have ever seen the Italian press is on Lippi's back about their goal threat so a 0-0 draw would be perfect.
Then hopefully we can get into pole position come 10:00 p.m. on the 10th of October with a famous victory, followed by a home victory against Montenegro on the following Wed and South Africa beckons.
Then the hard work begins will have to have a word with those nice Credit Union people about a loan!
Who beat Italy ten years ago?
Edit - Denmark, 3-2
Napoli (Stadio San Paolo) - Wednesday, 8 September 1999 - h. 20,45
ITALIA - DENMARK 2-3 (2-1) IX European Championship of Nations "XI Henri Delaunay Cup" (Qualification Group 1, 7th Match)
ITALIA: Buffon (Parma) 10, Panucci II (Inter) 18, Nesta (Lazio) 21,
Cannavaro I (Parma) 29, Pancaro (Lazio) 3, Fuser (Parma) 23, D.
Baggio (Parma) 59 (46' Giannichedda (Udinese) 3), Albertini (Milan)
64 (cap.), Di Francesco (Roma) 11 (70' Conte I (Juventus) 14),
Inzaghi I (Juventus) 15, Vieri I (Inter) 18 (77' Totti (Roma) 8).
Coach: D. Zoff. Subs bench: Toldo (Fiorentina), Negro (Lazio),
Vanoli (Parma), Chiesa (Fiorentina).
DENMARK: Schmeichel (cap.), Colding, Høgh, Henriksen, Heintze, Helveg (52'
Goldbaek), A. Nielsen, Tofting (52' Wieghorst), Jørgensen, Tomasson
(85' Schjonberg), Sand. Coach: B. Johansson. Subs bench: Soerensen,
Laursen, B. Nielsen, Moller.
Referee: Jol (Netherlands).
Scorers: 10' Fuser (I), 39' Vieri I (I), 40' Jørgensen pen., 57' Wieghorst, 64' Tomasson
Attendance: 46,919 buyers
Note: 80' sent off Wieghorst, 88' Giannicchedda sent off. Wieghorst scorers the 600th goal
against Italy.
Last edited by pineapple stu; 08/09/2009 at 11:39 AM.
They lost at home to Croatia 4-3 in a qualifier for the Euros. I'm sure they lost a few more too over the last 10 yrs and drawn a bucket load so it's hardly the same thing.
Bulgaria to win. This is Bulgaria's last throw of the dice. They must win the game and for me that is bad news for a very poor Italian team (by their standards). The best forward of both teams is Berbatov (when he actually turns up). Petrov likes big games and can cause Italy a lot of problems. Might not be the best result for us but I see Bulgaria winning this one.
they really are poor. i follow italian football and compared to past italian teams this is def the worse ive seen. upfront they are struggling bigtime. rossi,iaquinta and quagliarella seems to be his main 3. gilardinho i would fear more but lippi dosent seem to fancy him that much. buffon is keeping them in games, hes amazing. he wont pick cassano, totti is retired, del piero dosent seem to be considered, hes still playing well tho. all and all there is nothing much about this italian side. i hope its a draw tomorrow night but looking at bulgaria knocking 4 past montenegro i could see them at least getting a point. basically italy are relying on there midfield to score in games but there not doing that.
I think Noely's Guitar nailed it in saying "by their standards". They are still the best team in the group by a distance. They didn't really have a striker of note in the WC win either in Luca Toni. Totti was playing though (although poorly) and Del Piero was being used from the bench. They still scored 11 goals in 7 qualifying matches, og's or otherwise. Qualification is a formality for Italy, it's taken for granted and they don't strain themselves too much til it matters. They were exceptionally poor in the Confederations Cup but again I'm not sure that's much of an issue for them either.
apart from there central midfielders i think were a better side. keepers evenly matched. dunne and cannavaro both dominant at the back. italy dont really use wingers that much maybe cameronasi but mcgeady is better. were def better upfront, so IMO were just as good. granted they are top though.They are still the best team in the group by a distance.
We may have better forwards but they are technically a far better side. They utilise their full backs very well in Grosso and Zambrotta. We couldn't even if we wanted to with Kilbane and O'Shea. Whelan and Andrews wouldn't get on the Italian ladies team.
De Rossi, Pirlo, Gattuso, Aquilani, etc. They've tons of midfielders on a completely different level to ours. Their defence is world class, far from our level. We match them up front but that's it.
Was he really suggesting that Whelan and Andrews are better than De Rossi and Pirlo?
I'm intrigued for the match tomorrow night, Italy have the better side on paper but are really on dire form at the moment. Not just as a side but a lot of their experienced players are in poor form at their club sides as well. If Bulgaria are gutsy enough they're there for the taking but it won't be easy.
Hopefully it'll be a draw, no real advantage to us if Italy loses, we need to beat them either way.
What a bizarre stat.
SPOILER: Morgan De Sanctis is the only other one I could find after a quick google?
I'll predict a draw.
Italy's form in this campaign must be a source of inspiration for Bulgaria, and a source of doubt in the normally unflappable Italian minds. If you take our games against the two, you'd say Bulgaria are the better side, and certainly good enough to get a draw.
Bulgaria will have gained confidence from scoring four at the weekend, and they know they really have to get a result or their World Cup aspirations will be thrown upon a Turin scrapheap like many a rusty Fiat. Contemplating that unpleasant spectre should imbue the Bulgars with the requisite patience and determination. Italy, meanwhile, may not be too sure what they have to do - "do we really have to win; is a draw ok; even if we lose is it that bad?" Perhaps a lack of conviction in their minds will pollute their play on the field; perhaps, after tomorrow, we will be certain two home wins and we're away off to Africa. A boy can but dream.
Probable teams according to Gazzetta.
Italy (4-3-3):
GK - Buffon; LB - Grosso, CD - Chiellini, CD - Cannavaro, RB - Zambrotta; CM - De Rossi, CM - Marchisio, CM - Camoranesi; SC - Pepe, SC - Gilardino, SC - Iaquinta
Bulgaria (4-4-2): GK - Ivankov; LB - Milanov, CD - Stoyanov, CD - Angelov, RB - Manolev; ML - M.Petrov, MC - St. Petrov, MC - Yankov, MR - Kishishev; SC - Rangelov, SC - Berbatov.
gilardino starts with iaquinta which is good news for italy. hes in good form. rossi started against georgia.
Strange days indeed.
Irish fans cheering on Bulgaria to get something out of a game.
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
I don't rate gilardino or Iaquinta particularly highly. Rossi is a top player although maybe difficult to accommodate, still can't help but feel they're missing out without him.
Pepe is average at best.
Toni has been dropped at Bayern with Cassano and Del Piero consistently being overlooked despite their form. Totti insists he is sticking to his retirement too. Have to feel that Italy are going to be having problems getting goals in the future.
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