Northern Ireland stunned Slovenia in their first Euro 2012 qualifying match. They’ll be up against Italy on Friday night, and defender Aaron Hughes dreams of another good result.
Despite having played only one match so far in Group C, Northern Ireland occupy the third spot. They are just beyond Italy and Serbia who are also undefeated after two Euro 2012 qualifying matches. So what’s next for the Irish side?
Hosting the Azzurri in Belfast will be special but getting a positive result to possibly join them at the top of Group C with a game in hand would be even more exceptional, as Aaron Hughes explained to the media:
“It would be huge. We said at the start [of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign] that you try to pick up what you can on your travels.
“This [Northern Ireland vs Italy] is our first home match in the campaign, and to get something from it would be massive. It isn’t a must-win [game] where we need all three points.
“Even if we come away with a point, we’ve got to remember who we’re playing: one of the top sides in the world. So to come out of the game with something would be a fantastic result for us. It would add to what we’ve already got.”
Although Italy have admitted that they are experiencing a delicate situation where they definitely need to solve the problems that saw them flop during Euro 2008, the 2009 Confederations Cup, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Northern Ireland will still cause an “upset” should they defeat Cesare Prandelli’s men. Aaron Hughes is aware of the Azzurri’s quality besides the fact that he hasn’t ruled out his team’s chances of winning on Friday night.
“Italy have talented and exceptional players who can cause you all sorts of problems if you aren’t on top of your game,” the Northern Ireland defender stated before adding:
“But, if we approach the game like we did against Slovenia, and do the same things, then we’ll give ourselves a chance [to beat Italy too].”
Hosting the Azzurri in Belfast will be special but getting a positive result to possibly join them at the top of Group C with a game in hand would be even more exceptional, as Aaron Hughes explained to the media:
“It would be huge. We said at the start [of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign] that you try to pick up what you can on your travels.
“This [Northern Ireland vs Italy] is our first home match in the campaign, and to get something from it would be massive. It isn’t a must-win [game] where we need all three points.
“Even if we come away with a point, we’ve got to remember who we’re playing: one of the top sides in the world. So to come out of the game with something would be a fantastic result for us. It would add to what we’ve already got.”
Although Italy have admitted that they are experiencing a delicate situation where they definitely need to solve the problems that saw them flop during Euro 2008, the 2009 Confederations Cup, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Northern Ireland will still cause an “upset” should they defeat Cesare Prandelli’s men. Aaron Hughes is aware of the Azzurri’s quality besides the fact that he hasn’t ruled out his team’s chances of winning on Friday night.
“Italy have talented and exceptional players who can cause you all sorts of problems if you aren’t on top of your game,” the Northern Ireland defender stated before adding:
“But, if we approach the game like we did against Slovenia, and do the same things, then we’ll give ourselves a chance [to beat Italy too].”
