UDINE (ITALPRESS) – The opportunity is great. Tomorrow night (8:45 p.m., live on Rai 1 – referee the Spaniard de Burgos) at the ‘Friulì Stadium in Udine the national team will face Israel in front of about 12,000 spectators (11,700 tickets issued) with the goal of stretching in the standings on the direct pursuers, France (-1) and Belgium (-3), one facing the other in Brussels in the other match of the group of the fourth day of the Nations League. Unbeaten in Udine (7 wins and 2 draws) and in their confrontations with Israel (5 wins and 1 draw), Italy will be hunting for the victory that eluded them on Thursday in Rome with Belgium, when leading by two goals they were caught at 2-2. A match, the one with the Red Devils, dominated by the Azzurri in the first 40 minutes and inevitably turned after Pellegrini’s expulsion. “One aspect in which we can improve,” Luciano Spalletti explained in an interview with Vivo Azzurro TV, “is to understand that sometimes episodes can throw away the quality of play, team play and everything you have directed correctly. You have to know that there is also that risk.” And speaking of risks, woe betide Israel, bottom of the group with zero points, but capable in the challenge played last Sept. 9 in Budapest of creating some difficulties for the Azzurri: “We must be ready for what are their qualities – Spalletti warns – which are many. They have technique in the middle of the field, they have dribblers, and the risk of conceding restarts through their quality is high. “A month ago Italy – which this morning at Coverciano held its final training session – found itself challenging Israel 72 hours after the exploit with France, and Spalletti changed five elevenths of the victorious lineup at the Parc des Princes. This time, too, the Azzurri will have only four days to recover from the much energy expended with Belgium: “Roughly speaking, it’s one thing to think about being organized for training. But then there are the close times between matches. We still have more than 24 hours at our disposal, so we continue to keep the situation monitored. “In Udine Spalletti experienced an important stage of his coaching career, guiding the Udinese team first in 2001 and then from 2002 to 2005, a three-year period full of satisfaction that ended with the Friulians’ first historic qualification in the Champions League. “I had a great time in Udine,” the coach recalls, “I will be thrilled to return. It was a place that grew me in all aspects, both on the sporting and human side. It’s a very civilized city, with good people. I have a lot of friends who will be watching the game at the stadium tomorrow. “It will also be a special game for Guglielmo Vicario, who was born and raised in Udine before embarking on a long journey that took him all the way to London, Tottenham side. For the first time he will enter the ‘Friulì with the blue jersey: “From a personal point of view – his words to the microphone of the FIGC’s OTT platform – it is a great achievement. It is the stadium where I used to go every Sunday as a child-fan. Tomorrow there will be my family and many friends in the stands to support the national team. On an emotional level it will be something strong, which makes me proud of the path I have taken. “Against Israel the watchword is attention: “They are a very fast and technical team, they don’t give certainties on what can be the interpretation of how to be on the field: they change, they defend in four or three, they have different characteristics and peculiarities. We have to be careful especially on the restarts, having them very quick and technical players. We will have to be focused and positioned well on the field, we know that we have to play the game in front of our audience and, as is right, the focus has to be on ourselves and how we will approach the match trying to get a result.” A win tomorrow would allow us to take another big step toward qualifying for the quarterfinals: “The goal is to confirm ourselves as a group, trying to bring back to the field what we did in the first three games. Confirming from a result standpoint would give us an extra boost in facing the last two games in November. We have to go clear and straight to the goal, it’s an important and difficult game and we have to be ready.”
– Photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
