Antonio Conte is making his preparations for the upcoming Azzurri friendly matches. Italy will face Belgium in Brussels on November 13, and four days later will host Romania in Bologna on November 17.
Pirlo to skip a turn. Giovinco out. Giaccherini and Cerci looking to return. Jorginho and Baselli waiting for a call. Berardi and Insigne up front.
Italy finished first in Euro 2016 qualifying, securing their ticket to France next June. Between now and then Conte will rely on international friendlies to determine who will be part of the 23 man roster.
According to Fabio Licari of Gazzetta Dello Sport, Conte has many options to consider and it will be a good time to try some new players who are on the bubble to make the team.
Pirlo to stay home for technical reasons. Giovinco is injured. Berardi and Insigne are back in vogue. Giaccherini, Cerci and one of Jorginho or Baselli with good odds of being called up. Some new blood to arrive for the two upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Romania.
Initially, having avoided the need for a playoff by getting a direct entry into the Euro by winning the group, Conte was thinking of using the November fixtures for some experimentation. However the good performances of October against Norway and Azerbaijan, and the impression that Italy is finally embracing the coach’s tactics and philosophy, have given Conte reason to continue this path. Between now and the Euro there will only be two more matches, against Spain and Germany in March, before selecting the final 23 man roster for France 2016. There is no time to waste.
Tactics and FIFA Ranking #13: From the 3-5-2 formation to 4-3-3 up to the last 4-2-4, Italy has shown its tactical versatility. It is most likely that against top nations it won’t be easy to lineup with four attackers, and Belgium is certainly a top team (FIFA will announce that it will be the new leader in world ranking, while Italy will move up to 13th).
However Conte believes in a system that he thought of applying at Juve before using a 5 man midfield. Naturally it requires “esterni” that can cover both ends (El Shaarawy is an ideal candidate), while others such as Vazquez struggle to align themselves on the attacking front and require more liberty.
The callups will be announced Sunday evening, before the Sampdoria-Fiorentina match. Conte wants to wait for all the matches, Champions League and Europa League included, and is working from a long list.
DEFENSE: The one area where little change is expected. Based on the Juventus block (Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini), plus the irreplaceable Sirigu, Darmian and Florenzi. On the flanks De Sciglio should be confirmed, who performs better with the national team than Milan, plus Antonelli, with Criscito and Pasqual who hope to be included in the lineup.
MIDFIELD: Injury situation cause for concern: Bertolacci out, De Rossi and Parolo must show they have recovered from injury, even Montolivo has ailments. Marchisio returns and, with Verratti, can compose the perfect duo of central mids. Sorian and Bonaventura will be there. One of Jorginho and Baselli should make it. The Italo-Brazilian is more suited for the 4-2-4, the Torino player has found the ideal location in a three-man midfield. Pirlo is ready but doesn’t need to play as there is no need to evaluate him. Certainly, the midfield with two players is not Conte’s prefernce.
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