final match facts for ITALY

ITALY

• Italy have won just two of their last eight games in regulation time and were a national-record six matches without a victory in major final tournaments before beating the Republic of Ireland on 18/06.

• Coach Cesare Prandelli is unbeaten in competitive internationals, recording ten wins and five draws to date, with the shoot-out triumph over England classed as a draw.

• Christian Maggio is available after serving a one-match suspension against Germany.

• In the semis, Mario Balotelli became only the second Italy player to score twice in one EURO game, after Pierluigi Casiraghi against Russia in 1996. He also became the first Azzurri player to register three goals at one UEFA European Championship, a tally that equals Antonio Cassano's national-record haul at all EURO finals.

• Andrea Pirlo made 146 passes against England, completing 117 – the most at UEFA EURO 2012, extra time included.

Injury news
• Giorgio Chiellini injured his hamstring against Ireland and missed the quarter-final before returning for the semi.

• Daniele De Rossi overcame sciatica problems to face Germany; Ignazio Abate did not play as he was unable to train in the lead up to the game due to muscle fatigue suffered in the quarter-final.

• Cassano was expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing heart surgery on 04/11 but returned to action at the start of April.

Miscellaneous
• Pirlo (v Croatia, England and Germany) is the only player to have picked up three Carlsberg Man of the Match awards at UEFA EURO 2012. Cassano took the honour against Ireland.

• Pirlo's effort against Croatia was the first goal direct from a free-kick at the UEFA European Championship since Marek Heinz versus Germany at UEFA EURO 2004.

• Italy have never scored an extra-time goal at the UEFA European Championship in seven attempts.

• Fabio Borini is yet to make his competitive debut for Italy.

• Eight of the squad had EURO experience: Gianluigi Buffon (2004, 2008), Cassano (2004, 2008), Pirlo (2004, 2008), Chiellini (2008), Andrea Barzagli (2008), De Rossi (2008), Antonio Di Natale (2008) and Morgan De Sanctis (2008).

• Italy lost 3-0 to Russia in Zurich on 01/06 in their only pre-tournament friendly. Their meeting with Luxembourg in Parma, scheduled for 29/05, was cancelled after an earthquake.

UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying
• Italy's tally of 26 points from ten games was a national record in a qualifying section for a major tournament.

• The Azzurri finished with the best defensive record across the nine groups, conceding only two goals.

• Discounting the six minutes of the home game against Serbia before it was abandoned, Italy did not concede for 625 minutes between Estonia finding the net in their opening fixture and Serbia's goal 13 months later.

• Chiellini played every minute of Italy's campaign; Cassano was the only other ever-present member of the squad and also the Azzurri's six-goal leading scorer.

• Six of the squad did not play in qualifying: Angelo Ogbonna, Abate, Giaccherini, Di Natale, Borini and Diamanti.

Domestic information
• The Italy squad features seven members of the Juventus side that went through the Serie A season unbeaten en route to the title: Buffon, Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Chiellini, Giaccherini, Claudio Marchisio and Pirlo. Pirlo has not been on the losing side in Serie A since 18 December 2010, when he was at AC Milan.

• The Bianconeri suffered their first defeat of the season in their last outing, losing 2-0 to a Napoli side featuring De Sanctis and Maggio in the Coppa Italia final on 20/05.

• Balotelli scored 13 goals in 23 games and was sent off twice as Manchester City FC won the Premier League.

• Di Natale struck 23 times as Udinese Calcio finished third in Serie A, the third successive season he has hit 20 or more. He did not manage more than 17 before he reached the age of 30.

• Giovinco (15), Marchisio (9) and Diamanti (8) all established personal bests in front of goal in Serie A, while Nocerino's return of ten in 35 games was four more than he had mustered in his previous four seasons combined.