Xtratime Community banner

Who will qualify for WC?

WCQ Playoff 2018 ITALY v Sweden 10/11 & 13/11

19K views 442 replies 47 participants last post by  roadrunner 
#1 ·
#3 ·
Don't mean to crash this thread but hope Sweden cause an upset and eliminate Italy. We need more weaker teams causing upsets.
 
#6 ·
The squad has been called.

GK: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Mattia Perin (Genoa);

D: Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Milan), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Danilo D’Ambrosio (Inter), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), Daniele Rugani (Juventus), Leonardo Spinazzola (Atalanta), Davide Zappacosta (Chelsea);

M: Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Antonio Candreva (Inter), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Roberto Gagliardini (Inter), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Jorge Luiz Frello Jorginho (Napoli), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain);

F: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Eder Citadin Martins (Inter), Manolo Gabbiadini (Southampton), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Simone Zaza (Valencia).
 
#11 ·
Stop putting Chiellini LB. He hasnt played there for Ventura and neither for Italy in ages, and now you play him there in a World cup playoff match.

Barzagli is getting old and isnt starting material anymore as a Juventino i can say that seeing him regularly. Great experience to have but lost speed.

Is Immobile 100%? Cause i read he had injury problem Thursday for Lazio Euro match. If he isnt fit and gets called then it really is Ventura & friends. Meanwhile Balo has 8 goals in 12 games for Nice. Eder is 0 in 8 games for Inter.
 
#12 ·
On a side note, so Jorginho is getting called but till he doesnt play he can still end up playing for Brazil in Russia next summer? Right.


Its because of Ventura we are in a situation were Jorginho has to be given minutes now in these playoffs to make sure he is tied with Italy. In a playoff.

Cant expect him to start given the history and Ventura favourites.
 
#14 · (Edited)
My lineup would be:

Buffon - Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Darmian - Florenzi, Verratti, De Rossi - Candreva, Belotti (or Immobile), Insigne

I'ts a 4-3-3 but can also be a 3-4-3 thanks to the versatility of Florenzi, who can be both center midfielder or right wingback.

Another possibility is a pure 4-3-3, without Barzagli, with Florenzi right back and Parolo as the center midfielder.
 
#18 ·
Why not 3-5-2? This was the system that nobody could deal with in Euro 2016. Although Conte is no longer in charge it's not as though these players have forgot how to play in this system.

Buffon
Barzagli --- Bonucci --- Chiellini
Zappacosta --- Parolo --- De Rossi --- Verratti --- Spinazzola
Belotti --- Immobile​
 
#21 ·
I've been reflecting on how much harm the run to the euro2012 final - the only noteworthy performance by Italy in the last decade or so - did to Italain football by masking its many problems. I remember the long-standing issues (for example, poor youth development, bias towards 'old sweats' and lack of competitiveness in Serie A caused by too many clubs) in the division were more difficult to sustain after that achievement.

Nevertheless, they were still present and have largely been ignored by the authorities, media and many fans. Paradoxically, this potential - and I think there really is a strong possibility - non-qualification is a golden 'opportunity' to force the issues on to the tables of FIGC and particularly the Lega and clubs.

From the little I saw of Sweden in the first round of qualifying, their performance-level has not been harmed by the retirement of Ibrahimovic.
 
#23 · (Edited)
According to gazzetta the lineup will be 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 (but the trequartista would be Verratti so I do not see a real difference)

Buffon - BBC - Candreva, Parolo, Verratti, De Rossi, Spinazzola (or Darmian) - Immobile, Zaza

Immobile 100% certain, Zaza very likely and very few chances for Belotti and Insigne (both 10%). Not bad for a guy who justified his 4-2-4 by telling us that Italy is producing mostly side midfielders and side forwards. He is leaving them all, but Candreva, out.
 
#27 ·
3-5-2 in my opinion gives an excess of protection at the cost of the attack and I'm not sure I'd like to face Sweden in the 2nd leg after a goalless draw in Sweden. I'd also consider the fact that the 2nd game is in just three days, which means the best option would be using a good amount of players in the two games. I would adopt the 4-3-3 in Sweden (with Insigne and maybe El Shaarawy in the starting lineup), where we might obtain a win with goals or a draw with goals, then would keep the 3-5-2 (without Insigne and El Shaarway in the starting lineup) for the game at San Siro if we came back with favorable score from Sweden. In the 180 minutes I would keep in the starting lineup for sure just Buffon, Bonucci and Chiellini.
 
#30 ·
But as we know, more attacking team doesn't mean there are more goals scored. Sometimes there is less tactical traction this way and effectively less possession, less attacking and less chances created despite the more attacking lineup.

Rather than aiming to score goals, I would aim to concede none. This is more realistic and also leads to success.

Anyway, you might be right bit just pointing this out as worthy of consideration.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top