Spain vs Ireland
The Republic of Ireland suffered a bad start to Euro 2012 against Croatia in a match they could have won. However, this 3-1 defeat, marked by poor display all over the pitch and particularly in defence, is now in the past.
The Irish currently find themselves in a difficult situation which requires them to get a result against the mighty Spaniards. Giovanni Trapattoni’s craftiness will be put to the test. The Republic of Ireland coach, who is the oldest manager to ever guide a team at a European Championship, must find a way out to put the Boys in Green back on track.
“Spain are a team that are very technical, so it will be very important not to give them much space, particularly in midfield,” Trapattoni assessed during the pre-match press conference.
“Our objective might be to try to win the game, but at the same time also to find a way to help the midfield because sometimes we suffer in this situation.”
Meanwhile, Vicente del Bosque is not taking the Irish lightly. The World Cup winning coach made a controversial decision last week by naming no striker in his starting line-up. His choice somehow paid off as Spain’s equalizer against Italy came through attacking midfielder Cesc Fabregas while number 9 Fernando Torres missed two crucial opportunities to win the game.
With only a point from a possible three, Spain are under pressure to hit perfection against the Republic of Ireland. Spanish football fans are contemplating nothing but victory on Thursday against a team that will go home if they lose. Vicente del Bosque, however, is not too confident ahead of the clash. He told the press:.jpg)
“I am worried about every aspect of our opponents. Ireland have more than just one threat. They have tall, strong players and are dangerous on the wings. Their attackers also offer a lot.”
Referring to the 2002 FIFA World Cup when Spain narrowly bit Ireland on penalties, Vicente del Bosque concluded:
“If we look at past meetings, we have never had a clear victory over Ireland. We are going to have difficulties in this game as in any other but we hope to be able to combat those difficulties.”
Italy vs Croatia
Italy certainly gave a good account of themselves last week with their draw against Spain. The Azzurri are now thinking about stealing maximum points away from Croatia. Cesare Prandelli is planning to use an ultra-attacking approach. Leonardo Bonucci, Mario Balotelli, Christian Maggio and Giorgio Chiellini must all play cautiously as they are a yellow card away from suspension.
The Croatians know that their biggest test is yet to come. They are hoping to be in safe mode ahead of their clash against Spain on Sunday. Putting matters to rest on Thursday is the best option for Slaven Bilic’s side to avoid disappointment; the got off to a bright start against Ireland and they are hoping to finish the business as soon as possible. If the Croatians beat Italy on Day 7 of Euro 2012, they will have the chance to prepare better for the quarter-final stage where they last lost to Turkey in dramatic fashion.
Croatia have a good head-to-head record against Italy. The last meeting between both sides was six years ago in an international friendly which Croatia won 2-0. Italian midfielder Thiago Motta is fully aware of Croatia’s threat but he also believes in the strength of his team.
“The game against Croatia will be decisive because whoever wins will have taken a very important step towards qualification. But we're feeling good and have prepared with great care for the game.”
Deciding games
At Euro 2012, no group is decided yet. In Group A, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic and even Greece remain in the running to qualify for the quarter-finals. In Group B, Germany have 6 points but with Denmark and Portugal each on 3 points, the Germans are not safe yet. Meanwhile, the Netherlands could also make a late comeback despite having 0 point at the moment.
Croatia will become the first team to reach the Euro 2012 quarter-finals if they defeat Italy on Thursday. However, the Azzurri want to leapfrog the Croatians with 4 points from a possible 6 at the end of the day. Meanwhile, the Irish will be the first team to crash out at UEFA Euro 2012 if they lose to Spain.
