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Italy v Czech Republic review Sub standard Italy needed a point to be sure of qualifying and two men came off the bench to score decisive goals against the 10-man Czechs to secure top spot. Susy Campanale looks at some inspired Marcello Lippi choices



It all went down to the wire, but Marcello Lippi changed his system and dropped some illustrious names to ensure the Azzurri were first to the finish line. With Luca Toni still looking for his first goal and Daniele De Rossi starting a four-match suspension, he switched to a more solid 4-4-1-1 with Alberto Gilardino leading the way. “It is a very different system, as Mauro Camoranesi and I were support strikers in essence. Having never used it before, we weren’t entirely sure what to do, but we were solid and earned this victory,” explained Francesco Totti. However, the starting line-up didn’t prove nearly as effective as Lippi’s substitutions. Marco Materazzi came off the bench for the injured Alessandro Nesta – whose recurring thigh problem is again causing concern – to nod in the opener before Pippo Inzaghi waltzed round Petr Cech to finish off the Czech Republic. “This was my 50th cap, too, so I’m very happy to celebrate my Silver Anniversary! It was wonderful to see the affection my teammates and the fans have for me, so it was great to share this moment with everyone,” said the Milan striker who lived up to his supersub reputation. “I was trying to dummy a pass to Simone Barone so I could send Cech the wrong way, even if he’s very tall and it was a risk, but it went well. If you think about what you’re doing too much, it becomes much more difficult.” Italy had broken through against the run of play, as Gianluigi Buffon proved himself in the challenge with Cech thanks to a string of fine stops from Juventus teammate Pavel Nedved. “Pavel was sick of seeing me make all those saves after a while,” smiled the goalkeeper. When Jan Polak went through the back of Totti for a second bookable offence, it was effectively the end of their campaign. In the end the victory was a comfortable one, but it had more to do with defensive resilience than a piercing attack. Totti’s rather pitiful attempts at some lobs and Inzaghi missing two clear-cut chances raised the ire of their captain. “One does struggle a little back there, as you want to see the game sealed up early and a little less showboating,” warned Fabio Cannavaro. “The worry was that we were wasting so many chances that in the end we’d lose our lead. I got a little angry at the relaxed attitude the forwards were taking, but thankfully Pippo scored at the end,” added Gennaro Gattuso. The fiery Milan man shocked onlookers by almost slapping his Coach in the face during his celebrations. “Seeing as we’ve been working towards this adventure for two years, we were charged up to the hilt. Even if I exaggerated a little, it was how I express my joy. I can’t tell you how nervous I was – I’ve been to the bathroom 12 times this morning!” Lippi didn’t seem to mind being manhandled by the Milanista and deflected criticism of a performance that was adequate more than commanding, particularly against 10 men. “This was an important objective for many reasons, as we knew it was crucial to avoid Brazil, even if we wouldn’t have minded the Selecao. Let’s just say that avoiding them was better,” smiled the Coach. “Admittedly, taking the lead and having an opponent sent off helped, but we really must get better in front of goal. “All the players count the same for me, whether they are on the bench or the field. Everyone has to work with patience so that they are ready when needed, which you can’t do if you train anxiously. It wasn’t a defensive formation, as we were playing with three attacking players, even though two of them weren’t out-and-out strikers. I’ll give my men a nine out of 10 for what we’ve achieved so far, especially in terms of team spirit.” STAR MAN – GIANLUIGI BUFFON If Italy have only conceded once in the group phase, and that was an own goal, much of the credit goes to their ‘keeper. There were doubts over his form ahead of the competition, but he was inspired by the battle with Petr Cech to perform a string of fine saves from the increasingly frustrated Pavel Nedved. It might be the confidence booster he – and his defence – were looking for.