EURO 2008 GROUP Italy rocked by Cannavaro injury ...
Coach Löw names preliminary squad for Euro 2008 ... C
Italy 0-0 Romania 1700 BST
Netherlands v France 1945 BST
GOALFLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times BST)
To get involved use 606 or text us your views & comments on 81111.
(Not all contributions can be used) By Caroline Cheese
1704: First sniff of goal for the Italians... Luca Toni plays in Alessandro del Piero whose shot is deflected behind for a corner. Romania clear.
1700: The clock ticks to 1700 hours and we're under way. Excellent timekeeping, as you would expect in Zurich... sorry.
1656: Italy win the anthems just about. Romania captain Christian Chivu gives the whole Italian team a great big smile and even pats one of them on the head as the two teams shake hands. That's hardly giving them hell is it? (see 1641).
1652: If you guessed the flags of Italy and Romania, congratulations. If you guessed Roberto Donadoni dressed as Count Dracula. Unlucky.
1649: Zurich's Letzigrund Stadion is treated to the now familiar mini-opening ceremony. What will the giant football open to reveal today?
1646: "No bad omens for this game: Romania and Italy are both immune to the superstition of Friday 13th. Instead, Romanians are terrified of Tuesday 13th while Italians find Friday 17th unlucky for some. A fact of the day just for you Cheese!"
butidontlikecarrots on 606
Join the debate on 606
1641: If Italy weren't already aware of the task ahead of them, here's Romania defender Christian Chivu - one of four Romanians plying their trade in Serie A - with a reminder: "They are the ones that will have to push forward. So let them come because we will show them hell."
1635: "Re 1600: It gets worse Cheese! Today's match is the 13th in the 13th European Championship! Luckily the unlucky number in Italy is 7 so Forza Italia!"
redandblackT1899 on 606
Join the debate on 606
1632: "This game is going to be a complete bore. For most of it, you'll wish you were watching Wigan - Boro (no offence to fans of said distinguished clubs). Final score 1-0 Italy."
sdpasi02 on 606
Join the debate on 606
1629: "Romania are 25/1 to win the tournament, I'm putting some money on them!"
Chris, Leeds, via text on 81111
Not too much I hope, Chris.
1627: These two met in the quarter-finals of Euro 2000 when Romania legend Gheorghe Hagi was sent off after receiving a second yellow for diving. Romania lost 2-0, Hagi's last appearance for his country.
1620: Italy's under-fire boss Roberto Donadoni makes five changes to the side beaten by the Dutch. Fabio Grosso, Giorgio Chiellini, Simone Perrotta, Daniele de Rossi and Alessandro Del Piero come in for Andrea Barzagli, Marco Materazzi, Massimo Ambrosini, Gennaro Gattuso, Antonio Di Natale. Romania shuffle their midfield after the goalless draw with France. Paul Codrea replaces Razvan Cocis and Florentin Petre comes in for Banel Nicolita.
1618: TEAMS
Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso, Camoranesi, Pirlo, De Rossi, Del Piero, Perrotta, Toni. Subs: Amelia, De Sanctis, Gamberini, Barzagli, Gattuso, Di Natale, Borriello, Ambrosini, Quagliarella, Cassano, Aquilani, Materazzi.
Romania: Lobont, Contra, Tamas, Goian, Rat, Radoi, Petre, Codrea, Chivu, Mutu, Daniel Niculae. Subs: Popa, Stancioiu, Marica, Cocis, Sapunaru, Ghionea, Nicolita, Moti, Marius Niculae, Cristea, Dica, Radu.
1617: "Re 1606: if Italy lose to Romania, they deserve to go out."
ProperPundit on 606
Join the debate on 606
1616: Some early team news from the Italy camp. Alessandro del Piero is back in the side - and takes the captain's armband from keeper Gianluigi Buffon.
1612: "If it's Friday 13th, does that mean Gatusso is the grim sweeper?!"
Nick, London, via text on 81111
1606: I will endeavour to keep you on track with what can and cannot happen throughout today, but here's the headline: if Italy lose to Romania, the world champions will go out of Euro 2008.
1600: It's Friday the 13th. It's the Group of Death. Dah dah daaaaaaaaahhhh…
BIG MATCH STATS
Head-to-heads
Italy and Romania have met each other on 14 previous occasions with Italy winning 10 times and Romania twice. They have played each other seven times in competitive matches with five wins for Italy and one for Romania.
In the quarter-finals of Euro 2000, Italy won 2-0 with goals from Francesco Totti and Filippo Inzaghi. Gheorghe Hagi was sent off in his 125th and final international.
Romania's last win over Italy is now nearly 20 years ago, a 1-0 friendly win in March 1989. Current Italy head coach Roberto Donadoni played in that defeat.
Team facts - Italy
Knocked out in the group phase in two of the last three European Championships.
Not lost two matches in a row since 2002, when a 1-0 home defeat by Slovenia followed their 2-1 defeat by South Korea at the World Cup. The World Cup match was lost in extra time and the last time Italy lost two in a row in 90 minutes is in 1994 when France and Germany both beat them in friendlies.
Italy's starting line-up against the Netherlands was the oldest ever at a European Championship, averaging 31 years and 52 days.
Team facts - Romania
Not conceded a goal in their last three international matches.
Won only one of their 11 European Championship matches. They beat England 3-2 at Euro 2000, ending a run of eight winless matches at European Championships.
Scored the fewest goals per match amongst teams with at least 10 European Championship matches. Italy have the third worst ratio.
Won only once in 11 matches against reigning World Champions. That was a 1-0 European Championship qualification win against 1982 World Cup winners Italy in April 1983.
Player facts - Italy
Antonio Cassano needs to score just once to become Italy's all-time top scorer at European Championships with three.
Marco Materazzi will face his club mate Cristian Chivu in this match. Both play for Internazionale.
Materazzi is the only member of the Italian squad to have won this season's Serie A title.
Another yellow card for Gianluca Zambrotta will make him the first player ever to receive six yellow cards at the European Championship.
Luca Toni, Gianluca Zambrotta and Gennaro Gattuso will be suspended for the match against France if they receive a yellow card against Romania.
Player facts - Romania
If selected, defender Razvan Rat will play his 50th international having made his debut against France in February 2002.
No Romanian player in the country's European Championship history has scored more than one goal. Chivu is the only one in the current squad with a goal to his name having scored at Euro 2000.
Adrian Mutu plays his club football with Fiorentina as does his Italian opponent Alessandro Gamberini.
Goalkeeper Eduard Stancioiu is the only player in the Romanian squad from the domestic title winners CFR Ecomax Cluj.
Daniel Niculae, Dorin Goian and Cosmin Contra will be suspended for the match against Netherlands if they receive a yellow card against Italy.
Big Match Stats source: Infostrada Sports
(BBC)
<< Back