By Hasan Saiyid - Euro2008TV.com

Eighty-eight years and Luis Enrique have been the two main themes of nearly all previews of the potentially scintillating quarterfinal between Italy and Spain. Commentators have not been remiss in pointing out that Spanish heartache extends back to 1920, the last time they beat Italy in an official game and 1994, the last time they were beaten by Italy in an official game.

The latter memory is what continues to rankle the Spanish.  The World Cup 1994 quarterfinal has now been etched into Spanish football’s consciousness for the typical injustice that seems to perpetually hold Spanish football back.  Then, it was Mauro Tassotti’s elbow that disfigured Luis Enrique’s face, an offence that the referee did not see and one that deserved a red card and a penalty.

The Spanish firmly believe that that one instance defines what is wrong with Italian football: it is grossly cynical.  Yet, the Spanish also have a grudging admiration for calcio, something they will only admit quietly or rarely.  I still remember the graciousness of Ivan Helguera, then of Real Madrid, in saying that “Italy have won three World Cups, while Spain…well you know.”  Helguera was speaking before the titanic tussle between Juventus and Real Madrid in the semi-final of the 2003 Champions League.  The Spanish media had built that game up as a quintessential encounter between the forces of light versus the forces of darkness.  Helguera had no problem in admitting that Italian football was more successful than the Spanish brand, and it had nothing to with representing evil, and everything to do with the ability of knuckling down and getting a result.
Few are as kind as Helguera, however.  Picking up a Spanish sports daily these days must feel like handling a high-strung kitten.  All the headlines have been roaring (meowing, if you are not Spanish) their team on to vanquish their age-old nemesis, but this bravado will barely register on Italian minds.  Italy know how to negotiate the business end of tournaments perhaps better than any country in the world, and as Germany, Turkey, and Russia have proven in the last few days, the groups stage is no reliable indicator of success down the road.

Previewing Spain’s prospects at Euro2008 (www.euro2008tv.com/spain/simply-overrated)

I had concluded that Spain were “simply overrated”.  Their somewhat impressive performances so far have only served to prove my point.  When Spaindefaced an Arshavin-less Russia 4-1 in their opening game, all and sundry jumped on the “this may be the year of the Spanish” bandwagon.  Two semi-convincing performances later, and commentators were a little more guarded.  There are rarely true assessments of Spanish teams, just either starry-eyed, frenzied reports, or melancholic post-mortems.  The more sensible journalists locate Spanish mettle in the middle of these two extremes, as they know that there must be more than Tassotti’s elbow that has held Spain back all these years.

Tactics

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has all but confirmed that Roma starlet Alberto Aquilani will take over the role of suspended Andrea Pirlo in midfield.  Some feel that Aquilani is being thrown off the deep end, but Italy have precious few alternatives to Pirlo. Spain will reinstall Fernando Torres and David Villa up front, after both were rested in the meaningless final group game against Greece.

Italy will be hoping that Luca Toni finds his scoring touch because currently he has been quite wasteful.  Perhaps he smells blood and will explode onto the scene today. The key for Italy will be to protect the flanks and give Spain as little room as possible in midfield. Spain’s midfield oozes creativity, and Massimo Ambrosini and Daniele De Rossi will do well to cut the supply line there.

If Italy can use the flanks with Fabio Grosso and Gianluca Zambrotta, then this Spanish defence may be really tested for the first time this tournament.

Probable line-ups:

Spain (4-4-2): Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila; Senna, Xavi, Silva, Iniesta; Villa, Torres.

Italy (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso; Ambrosini, De Rossi, Aquilani; Perrotta; Cassano, Toni.

The time has come for…

Toni to come good and Antonio Cassano to really repay the faith Donadoni has shown in him. For the Spanish, Fernando Torres still has not hit his full stride and shown what he is fully capable of.

What they say…

Carles Puyol (Spain): “Italy do not need to play well in order to win.  They are a complete squad, strong in defence and although Andrea Pirlo is suspended, I am sure there will be someone else who is up to the task.”

Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy): “The Spanish have players who don’t do well when there is pressure on them.”

Spain coach Luis Aragones: “We have to have positive thinking and the team is ready to die on the field if they have to.”

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni: “I don’t like this type of high-impact statement [referring to Aragones’s comments]. I do not believe in the tradition factor, but rather the concrete facts and quality players can put on to the field now.”