MATCH 21 PREVIEW : AZZURI'S MOMENT OF TRUTH

Options restricted
The stakes could not be higher and Trapattoni knows his team have to produce a convincing win against Bulgaria. However, his options are restricted as three of his players – attacking midfield player Francesco Totti, centre-back Fabio Cannavaro and midfield player Gennaro Gattuso – are suspended.

Three-pronged attack
FC Internazionale defender Marco Materazzi or Parma AC's Matteo Ferrari will replace Cannavaro. Stefano Fiore and Mauro Camoranesi will battle it out for a midfield berth alongside Andrea Pirlo and Simone Perrotta, while AS Roma forward Antonio Cassano will continue to deputise for his club-mate, Totti, in a three-pronged attack along with Alessandro Del Piero and one of Christian Vieri and Bernardo Corradi. Vieri was due to have a late fitness test on his injured knee and in his absence Corradi will start.

All about pride
For Bulgaria, this match is all about pride. Plamen Markov's young side are already out of the competition, having lost their first two fixtures to Sweden (5-0) and Denmark (2-0). The frustration of their early exit clearly got the better of them at the end of the Denmark game, resulting in a red card for captain Stilian Petrov along with a rash of yellows.

Italy (probable): Buffon; Panucci, Nesta, Materazzi/Ferrari, Zambrotta; Fiore/Camoranesi, Pirlo, Perrotta, Del Piero; Cassano, Vieri.

Bulgaria (probable): Zdravkov; Ivanov/ Borimirov, Pazin, Zagorcic, Stoyanov; Peev, Hristov, M Petkov, M Petrov; Jankovich, Berbatov.

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