Frenzy for Sweden, fun for Italy

Striker Filippo Inzaghi, who missed a string of chances in both matches — but converted the match-winning penalty against Turkey, could well make way for Vincenzo Montella or AS Roma teammate Marco Delvecchio.

While all their teammates were under the shower, Zoff kept Del Piero and Montella behind for an extra half-hour’s target practice after Friday’s training session, watching them strike a ball being crossed from either flank.

A re-shuffle is also expected in midfield where Luigi di Biagio, Italy’s best middleman at France 98, was reported fully fit and AC Milan’s Massimo Ambrosini is hoping his Euro 2000 will be more than the fag-end of Italy’s win over Belgium.

Antonio Conte and Gianluca Zambrotta will almost certainly be rested as both have picked up a single yellow card — which will be wiped from the records if they don’t pick up another one before the quarter-finals.

Di Biagio or Ambrosini could replace Conte, while Angelo di Livio will almost certainly take over for Zambrotta.

Italy, who beat Sweden 1-0 with a Del Piero penalty in a friendly last February, will want to avoid defeat, if only in the interests of team morale. But they will also want to avoid exhaustion or serious injury.

New midfield star Stefano Fiore, a goalscorer against Belgium, said: “Whatever the line-up is, we don’t want to put on a bad performance. And then, it’s only right and fair from a sporting point of view towards Turkey and Belgium if we make this a real match.

Totti said: “We’ll try to play our game like we’ve played the other two. We’ll be walking out determined and trying to win again, if possible. There’s still a great desire to show just how good this squad is.”

That said, Sweden’s desire to win will probably be greater. They have little choice but to attack and hope that Bologna’s Kennet Andersson can use five years’ experience of the Serie A against the Italians.