MATCH 14 PREVIEW : TRAPATTONI PREPARES TO TINKER

Offensive strategy
Runners-up in the Low Countries four years ago, Italy travelled to Portugal confident of going one better this time around, but Monday's goalless draw with Denmark did little to spur that belief. Their inability to break down a well-organised Danish team, coupled with a three-match suspension to key forward Francesco Totti, has prompted Trapattoni to rethink his offensive strategy.

Compact system
The veteran coach employed a 4-2-3-1 formation throughout the Azzurri's qualifying campaign and again against Denmark, but could opt for a more compact 4-3-3 against a Sweden side that put five goals past Bulgaria. AC Milan duo Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso are set to step into a three-man midfield with Cristiano Zanetti, as Simone Perrotta and Mauro Camoranesi drop to the bench. Pirlo will play a pivotal role in the centre where his creativity should offer Italy an extra dimension.

Free roles
The inclusion of Gattuso, singled out for praise by Trapattoni after coming off the bench against Denmark, would give the midfield more punch. In attack, Alessandro Del Piero and Antonio Cassano are likely to be given free roles behind Christian Vieri. Del Piero is the only national-team regular who also started when these sides met at UEFA EURO 2000™, scoring as the Azzurri ended Swedish hopes of reaching the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win.

Italy (probable): Buffon; Panucci, Cannavaro, Nesta, Zambrotta; Gattuso, Pirlo, Zanetti; Del Piero, Cassano; Vieri

Sweden (probable): Isaksson; Nilsson, Edman, Mellberg, Jakobsson; Wilhelmsson, Linderoth, Svensson, Ljungberg; Ibrahimovic, Larsson.

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