GRIPPING ITALY VS GERMANY SEMIFINAL TO BE TELECAST BY SOLAR SPORTS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 28 Jun 2012
Football fans will get another treat in the early hours of Friday morning ? 2:30a.m. to be precise ? when Solar Sports carries a ?live? telecast of the gripping semi final encounter of Euro 2012 between Italy and Germany.
Defending champions Spain worked their way into the finals by gutting it out in a semi final shootout against Portugal and will be waiting in the wings to see which side they will face in an effort to win back-to-back championships.
The Germans with their precision football are clear favorites in the match which will be played in Warsaw, Poland.
However, BBC Sports points out that Italy are undefeated in their five games in Poland and Ukraine which included a victory in a penalty shootout against England in the quarter finals in a match the Italians clearly deserved to win.
Despite the reputation of the Germans, BBC Sports reports that Italian coach Prandelli has ruled out using defensive tactics in tomorrow morning?s encounter.
Prandelli said "We will not change what has brought us here. It would be a shame to waste the work of two years. We would be lacking maturity to play a different way."
While the Italians have scored only four goals in the championship, their creative midfield interplay, marshalled by veteran Juventus lynchpin Andrea Pirlo, has been widely praised.
And former Juventus midfielder Prandelli has made it clear he wants his side to play an expansive, high-tempo form of the game. He told BBC Sports "We have quality in midfield, a lot of flair, a lot of physical strength and technical ability in there"
He said "Riccardo Montolivo, Claudio Marchisio and Daniele De Rossi - they try and give us numbers in the midfield."
The Italian coach also revealed he expects to be pressured by Germany in the middle of the pitch in the Polish capital and insisted "We cannot sit deep [against Germany]."
Prandelli believes that Germany ?will press us high up the pitch. We are ready for this.We know where they are good, we think we know how they will line up and that they might make changes."
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Donaire in historic bid
By Joaquin Henson, Thu, 06 Nov 2025BROADCAST DETAILS ANNOUNCED FOR CMH2: BADOU JACK VS. NOEL MIKAELIAN
Thu, 06 Nov 2025Top prospect Marco Romero A victim of dramatic changes in Today’s professional boxing world
Thu, 06 Nov 2025Closing of registration on Nov. 15 for SDSPPO TWG-PAGPTD Run in Tandag
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 06 Nov 2025Rafael Espinoza-Arnold Khegai & Tenshin Nasukawa-Takuma Inoue Blockbuster Cards to Stream LIVE on Top Rank Classics FAST Channel
Thu, 06 Nov 2025JUSTIN LACEY-PIERCE OUTLASTS COURTNEY PENNINGTON IN DETROIT
Wed, 05 Nov 2025The José Sulaimán Boxers’ Fund continues supporting fighters worldwide
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 05 Nov 2025NBA Daily: Sans Injured Young, Hawks Still Dominate Magic 127-112
By Reylan Loberternos, Wed, 05 Nov 2025Kamatyas FIDE Rapid chess on Nov 8
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 05 Nov 2025WBC lifts the suspension imposed on Ryan Garcia
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 05 Nov 2025Siargao pug bags silver in Batang Pinoy
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 05 Nov 2025Marcial-Colmenares Middleweight Bout Steals Show at Thrilla in Manila 50th Year (Part 2 of 2)
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Wed, 05 Nov 2025Brown vs. Seldin for the WBA Super Lightweight Interim World Title
Wed, 05 Nov 2025FRANCIS LAFRENIÈRE MAKES COMEBACK NOV 29
Wed, 05 Nov 2025OLYMPIC MEDALIST YUBERJEN MARTINEZ INKS WITH ALL STAR BOXING
Wed, 05 Nov 2025