I'm surprised we don't have a thread yet for today's game. Predictions? This is an odd one. You'd think Belgium is the defending WC champion the way some people view this game. They have a lot of talent in the midfield and up front, but I think their back line can be exposed. Conte is not the type of coach to just sit back. I think his plan is to flood the midfield and hit them with quick incisive passes. I expect us to come out pretty fired up for this one. FORZA AZZURRI!
By all accounts Conte looks to open it up but I have a feeling it will be the same old sweating it out until the end. A tie is good for both teams so I'm picking 1-1.
We'll be fired up for this one no doubt and we'll see a tireless Italy side coming out with guns blazing. However, I don't think we'll have enough firepower to win this one with this talented Belgium side. I hope I'm wrong but I'm predicting a tie as well, 1-1.
If Italy win, it will be huge. But nothing in this line-up tells me we can bother this Beligium side. They are miles ahead of us in technical quality. A draw would be a great result
I'll say 2-0 Belgium (my optimistic side). Also, and it saddens me deeply to say this, but hope the team crashes and burns. Hopefully, and finally, that will be the final slap in the face for Italian football to make changes to the way it operates.
Umm..no. I will never hope for our team to crash and burn. Besides, we've crashed and burned spectacularly in some recent tournaments, and nothing has changed. If South Africa 2010 didn't change anything, nothing will.
LOL at Gazzetta's headline: http://www.gazzetta.it/calcio/europ...isteso-mertens-eder-pelle-1501052513758.shtml, "Eder per spaventare i belgi," translation, Eder to "scare" the Belgians.
Which Eder will we see today? The Sampdoria Eder or the one goal in 11 games Inter Eder? Fingers crossed the good Eder shows up.
I can smell Belgiums shit filled pants from here after seeing that line up. Euro final here we come. 2 embarrassing world cups in a row, and we need to fail now for tbings to change? We were suppised to rejuvenate after the last world cup, and we voted for an old guy, but not any old guy, one who has proven to be corrupt, one who has been threatenings to sue juventus conveniently while their sponsorship deal with FIAT was coming to an end. Renewed sponsorship and the threats have gone. People still think calcio isn't corrupt just because of the club they support. Nothing wil change if we fail miserably, Ventura will move in and everyone will continue to work for their own interests. Only when the french and Portuguese league goes ahead of serie A will fans open their eyes to what is happening almost openly.
Wow, how Italian has fallen from eras past with the quality of this starting 11. Tactics and good fortune will have to see us through. Also not convinced about how well as a team Belgium will play.
I wish they wouldn't sing it....they sound so bad while doing so.....fratelli d'italia is a anthem best left unsung