Preview – Daunting task for the Azzurri without Balotelli
When the referee’s whistle will go up to kick off proceedings at the Estádio Castelão in Fortaleza, soccer fans will be 90 or 120 minutes away from knowing if that dream Confederations Cup 2013 final will indeed take place. Many want to see hosts Brazil clash against world champions Spain in Rio on Sunday. However, the Azzuri of Italy have other ideas. They are plotting for an upset to happen on Thursday.
Cesare Prandelli’s mission is as tough as it seems. The Italian manager has lost his star player, Mario Balotelli. In the Milan striker’s absence, pundits have been wondering where the Euro 2012 runners-up will get their goals from.
Revenge is on the mind of the Italians after that humiliating 4-0 loss to current European Champions Spain last summer. At the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Italy have proven to be passionate in every area of the pitch but their defence needs serious corrections. They have allowed eight goals in their net already. How does this compare to the Spaniards who only conceded on Matchday 1 as a certain Luis Suarez beat Iker Casillas from a free-kick?
La Furia Roja will be looking to impose its possession style of play but the Azzurri will want to overcome the misery of opening holes at the back and suffer a hammering. On Wednesday, the South American affair between Brazil and Uruguay produced a very tight outcome. What kind of show will football viewers be treated to on June 27?
Where to watch the match live – Start time, live stream, TV channels
ESPN and Sportsnet are not the only sports networks via which Spain vs Italy will air live in North America. Univision has added itself to the coverage of this intriguing Last 4 encounter. Below are full TV info details for viewers in Canada, UK and USA.
Watch Spain vs Italy live:
In Canada at 15:00 EST on Sportsnet World, TLN Telelatino, Sportsnet World Online
In UK at 20:00 BST on BBC HD, BBC One
In USA at 15:00 EST on Univision Deportes, ESPN3, Watch ESPN, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN, Univision
*Click on the match page to view Live Soccer TV’s full Live Stream and TV Schedule info for this Confederations Cup 2013 semi-final fixture.
The dominance of Spain over Italy is clear nowadays. Earlier in June, the Euro U-21 Championship final saw the Spaniards trample over the Italians – sending a big message that the future of La Furia Roja looks bright. At the Confederations Cup, Vicente Del Bosque’s men are hot favourites to bypass their opponents en route to their first ever final. Four years ago, Spain were stunned by the United States of America at this same stage of the competition. The world’s highest-ranked nation has a curse to break. Will June 27 be another black day in their calendar at the delight of the Italians?
