match facts for italy

ITALY

• Italy have won just one of their last seven games in regulation time. That victory, over the Republic of Ireland on 18/06, ended a national-record run of six games without a victory in major final tournaments for the Azzurri.

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

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

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

• Christian Maggio is suspended for the semi-final after picking up bookings against Spain and England.

Injury news
• Giorgio Chiellini limped off with a hamstring injury against Croatia and missed the quarter-final against England.

• Ignazio Abate (muscle fatigue) and Daniele De Rossi (sciatica) suffered problems against England.

• Antonio 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
• Cassano (v Ireland) and Pirlo (v Croatia, v England) have picked up Carlsberg Man of the Match awards at UEFA EURO 2012.

• 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.

• Emanuele Giaccherini made his competitive Italy debut against Spain and Alessandro Diamanti did likewise against Ireland; Fabio Borini is yet to make his competitive bow at senior level.

• Italy gathered at Coverciano, Florence, on 21/05, with players of Juventus, SSC Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain FC joining four days later due to domestic duties. The Azzurri arrived in Krakow on 05/06.

• 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).

Pre-tournament friendly
01/06 Italy 0-3 Russia (Kerzhakov 59, Shirokov 75 89)

• Italy's friendly 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 also 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, 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.

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

• Mario Balotelli scored 13 goals in 23 appearances and was sent off twice as Manchester City FC won their first English top-flight title in 44 years.

• 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.

• Pirlo has not been on the losing side in Serie A since 18 December 2010, when he was at AC Milan.