Tabu 'Bulgaria and turnover.
For the second match of the European qualifiers for the Qatar World Cup, Roberto Mancini's Italy is called upon to confirm what they did in the first half against Northern Ireland and forget the second half.
In Sofia, where the Azzurri have never won in their 6 matches (4 draws and 2 defeats), coach Mancini announces that he will make changes compared to Thursday night's match in Parma.
Giorgio Chiellini, Domenico Berardi and Francesco Caputo left the retreat this morning: the Juventus defender and the two Sassuolo forwards, unavailable for the next matches with Bulgaria and Lithuania, three more defections that are added to those of Bryan Cristante in recent days and Moise Kean.
"We will make some changes compared to the match against Northern Ireland - the words of the Italian coach at the press conference in Sofia - but we still don't know how many.
It will depend on the conditions of the boys after training today and finishing tomorrow.
I don't know if 3, 4 or 5, but there will be changes. "Nomi does not make any, but given the defections it is more than likely to hypothesize that tomorrow evening, in the starting eleven, Spinazzola, Acerbi, Barella, Chiesa and Belotti will find space.
"Freshness is important, but I don't know who will play forward", the coach of
Bulgaria, a tough opponent
, cuts short
. Mancini knows the pitfalls that tomorrow night's match hides. "All matches are difficult, they must be played with maximum concentration.
We are here to win - adds the coach - If Italy has never won here, it means that it is not an easy field.
This is one of the pitfalls.
Compared to Northern Ireland, Bulgaria is a less physical but more technical team. "
Italy devoted to attacking rather than managing the game.
" We are not a team that can manage a match, we must always start from the concept of attack - underlines the blue coach - Thursday we had an excellent first half, in the second we tried to manage, but I would not go so far as to say that it was a bad second half.
We have done less well than other times.
Managing is not in our hearts and players need to understand this, even if they already know it.
I repeat, you always have to play to score. "
Alongside the Italian coach in the press conference on the eve of Leonardo Bonucci, fresh from a hundredth presence in blue." We expect Bulgaria that will want to make up for it after the defeat against Switzerland.
We will find some difficulties, but we want to bring home the three points.
We will need the utmost attention ", the words of the blue defender." The strength of Bulgaria is the collective - he underlines - They can put us in difficulty if we do not face the match in the right direction, but we will do it because we have a mature group that wants to qualify for Qatar as soon as possible ".
