Spain vs Italy

[CyberRose]

Please tell me David Silva is filling in for Villa!

 

[CyberRose]

Also, apologies for the lack of effort that went into creating this thread, I was waiting for freedaweed to start the thread but it's 15 minutes to kick off goddammit!

 

[tar1984]

In the absence of freidaweed I will c&p this from the bbc site

LINE-UPS Spain v Italy (17:00 BST)

Spain: Casillas, Arbeloa, Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Xavi, Busquets, Alonso, Silva, Fabregas, Iniesta. Subs: Valdes, Albiol, Javi Martinez, Juanfran, Pedro, Torres, Negredo, Mata, Llorente, Santi Cazorla, Jesus Navas, Reina.

Italy: Buffon, Chiellini, De Rossi, Bonucci, Giaccherni, Marchisio, Pirlo, Thiago Motta, Maggio, Cassano, Balotelli. Subs: Sirigu, Ogbonna Obienza, Balzaretti, Abate, Di Natale, Barzagli, Borini, Montolivo, Giovinco, Diamanti, Nocerino, De Sanctis.

Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)

 

[rekil]

Spain with 4-6-0 formation.

 

[CyberRose]

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA GO SILVA

 

[CyberRose]

Spain with 4-6-0 formation.

Iniesta and Silva are not very much different to Villa to be honest. Don't they usually have Villa up front on his own? Would have thought Fabregas is more of a like for like swap rather than Torres or Llorente...

 

[CyberRose]

Think it's more 4 3 3 for Spain

 

[goldenecitrone]

Venga Espanya!

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Balotelli clearly a huge Italian nationalist judging by his reaction their anthem

 

[Dandred]

hoe it's going to be a good one staying up well over my bed tie for this

 

[tar1984]

It is such a relief to forget about fiscal weakness for a day :/

 

[CyberRose]

Basically, they swapped Silva for Villa haven't they?

 

[CyberRose]

Or Fabregas should I say (doesn't he play in a similar forward role for Barca sometimes?)

 

[shagnasty]

I hope the next couple of hours help the spanish people to forget the crap that's going on in their country.Nothing like a game of footy to lift the spirits

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Or Fabregas should I say (doesn't he play in a similar forward role for Barca sometimes?)

He does indeed.

Italy are playing 5 in midfield so space likely to be tight there.

 

[CyberRose]

If this were Sheff Utd playing people would be screaming "PASS IT FORWARD" "THE GOAL'S THAT WAY" "BOOOOOOOOO"

 

[Voley]

Looks quite open so far. I thought they might just cancel each other out and it'd be dull but so far, so good.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Both defences look creaky. Italy have the better forward line, mainly because Spain ain't got one.

 

[CyberRose]

I think in the modern game it isn't good enough to simply describe someone as a midfielder or striker. Silva, Iniesta and Fabregas are all forwards/attacking midfielders so it's not like Spain have no one up front!

 

[friedaweed]

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Spain beat Italy in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 on penalties but have not defeated them in a competitive game without the aid of a shoot-out since a 2-0 win at the 1920 Olympics.
• The only other previous European Championship meetings were group games in 1980 (a 0-0 draw in Milan) and 1988 (a 1-0 win for Italy, courtesy of Gianluca Vialli).
• Six of the last nine matches between Spain and Italy have been goalless at half-time.

Spain

• If Fernando Torres scores he will match Fernando Hierro's tally of 29 goals - only Raul (44) and David Villa (51) have score more for Spain.
• Xavi had the best pass completion rate (94.9%) in Euro 2012 qualifying.
• No side has successfully retained the European Championship. The USSR and West Germany reached the final as defending champions, losing in 1964 and 1976 respectively.
• The Spanish have won 14 competitive games in a row since losing to Switzerland in their 2010 World Cup opener.

Italy

• The Azzurri had the best defensive record in qualifying, conceding just two goals in nine completed games (their match at home to Serbia was abandoned after just six minutes).
• Gianluigi Buffon saved 92.9% of shots he faced - the best record in Euro 2012 qualifying.
• They lost their Euro 2008 opener to the Dutch 3-0 - their heaviest defeat at a major international tournament since the 4-1 loss to Brazil in the 1970 World Cup final.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Yeah,agree with that pretty much. But think Barca and Spain's systems works better with someone ahead of the attacking midfielders making runs and creating space.

 

[tar1984]

You're late today

http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/esp-vs-ita.294647/

 

[editor]

*threads merged.

Balotelli's hissy fit. LOL.

 

[friedaweed]

That's not a thread

Where's the match facts

I'm sure you fuckers are hiding the threads from me until I post one

 

[CyberRose]

How could they keep freedaweed's title?!

 

[editor]

It's not a particularly great game thus far, is it?

 

[friedaweed]

*threads merged.

Balotelli's hissy fit. LOL.

Sorry Ed either these fuckers are pulling my leg or im getting senile, or i'm getting senile

 

[friedaweed]

How could they keep freedaweed's title?!

Hahahahaha

 

[CyberRose]

It's not a particularly great game thus far, is it?

I was just gonna post that I actually think it's a decent game, despite the lack of goals (or come to think of it attempts at goal either!)

 

[CyberRose]

Hahahahaha

It's ok, I understand that the Scots need a bit of attention over these next few weeks!