England goalkeeper Joe Hart told media last week how he had been busy practising penalties — both scoring and saving them — in training in the build-up to the Euro 2012 quarter-final against Italy. And the chances are high that the Manchester City man will get to test his skills in a match situation in Kiev on Sunday night.
The game sees two of the tournament’s most stubborn, defensive-minded teams meet at the Olympic Stadium, with both likely to prefer staying in their shell rather than coming out and trying to land an early knockout blow. There will be some quality attackers on show, but the defenders will be favourites to come out on top — although the absence of the towering Giorgio Chiellini from the Italians’ back-line should give England a slight advantage.
It’s unlikely either team will come out and attack from the off. Like two reluctant schoolchildren brought together for a playground fight, both sides will be unwilling to take the risk of throwing the first punch. The Italians have always been cautious in big tournaments, often risking the lottery of a penalty shootout rather than trying to win a knockout match outright. This new England under Roy Hodgson — who is revered at Inter Milan following his time there in the 1990s — seem similarly cautious.
One advantage England have over their opponents is pace. With Ashley Young set to start on the wing, and with Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in reserve, Hodgson has the weapons to really trouble this sluggish Italy team. How he uses them will be key, as it is likely he will need to start James Milner alongside captain Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker in midfield to stop his team being outnumbered in that vital area. But in the final half-hour, the introduction of a flying winger could be just what is needed to end the stalemate or get England back in the game if Andrea Pirlo has already scored a superb free-kick by that stage.
But what of ‘Super’ Mario Balotelli? We’re often told that the maverick Italian forward is capable of producing a moment of magic at any time, and his goal against Ireland in the group stage was a fine effort. But if his Manchester City teammate Joleon Lescott and centre-back partner John Terry can get on top of him early on, then frustration will quickly settle in and he could end up being more of a liability for his team. Instead, the classy Antonio Di Natale, rather than Balotelli or Antonio Cassano, could well pose the greatest threat to England’s defence.
