Italy’s coach pledges to blitz powerful Germany in semi

Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Thursday, Jun. 28, 2012

WARSAW, Poland -- Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has some questions about his lineup for today's European Championship semifinal with Germany.

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WARSAW, Poland -- Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has some questions about his lineup for today's European Championship semifinal with Germany.

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This article was published 28/06/2012 (5194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WARSAW, Poland — Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has some questions about his lineup for today’s European Championship semifinal with Germany.

But there’s no question about what type of match his team will play.

Despite facing the tournament’s most impressive squad thus far, Prandelli promises his team will attack.

CP
Cesare Prandelli — CP Cesare Prandelli

“We only have one weapon. We’ve got to risk something and play our game. That’s our only chance. We can’t turn backward,” Prandelli said Wednesday.

Prandelli’s biggest lineup concern appears in attack, where he is reportedly considering replacing Antonio Cassano with Alessandro Diamanti alongside Mario Balotelli.

In its penalty-shootout win over England in the quarter-finals, Italy produced 35 attempts on goal to England’s nine and 20 shots on target to the opponents’ miserable four. Yet Italy failed to score in open play against England.

“It’s obvious to say it, but we’ve got to do better at finishing,” Prandelli said.

Germany, the youngest team in the tournament, goes into the game on a 15-match winning streak in competitive matches, having scored at least one goal in each of their last 20 games at any level.

Italy’s Daniele De Rossi appears ready to play despite exiting the England game with a sciatic nerve problem, while right back Ignazio Abate appears to have recovered from a muscle problem in his left leg.

— The Associated Press