WORLD CUP FINAL - FRANCE v ITALY - MATCH PREVIEW III - ITALY
Andy Morgan

Alessandro del Piero sees France's inspirational captain Zinedine Zidane as the main player his side must watch if they want to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Citing the inability of the Brazilians to get the ball off him in the quarter-final tie, he knows that if Italy are to win the game they must keep him quiet.

Del Piero has insisted however that they will not man-mark Zidane, believing that this is a negative style of play that is not in touch with Italian roots. He does concede however that they will have to watch him closely and in Italian coach Marcello Lippi they have a man who knows Zidane's game more than most.

Lippi coached the Frenchman at Juventus and is aware how difficult it will be to nullify his natural talent and ability. Lippi also believes that it is counter-productive to manmark him however as he says it will take an Italian player out of the game and therefore give them less options. He believes the key to dealing with Zidane is organisation and plans to use the same system he employed so well to keep Germany's Michael Ballack quiet.

There, he got midfielder Gennaro Gatusso to hassle Ballack when he was floating between the midfield and attack in a more central position. When he moved out wide, he expected his wide players to deal with him, allowing Gatusso to push forward. This is important as if Zidane drags Gatusso too far wide, there will be too great a space between the midfield and the backline and this could be utilised by Henry.

Gatusso's discipline is vital therefore as Zidane could toy with him and push him out wide to create this space in the centre of the park. What must not be allowed to happen is to leave Zidane alone with Andrea Pirlo who defensively is clumsy. If he is then Zidane will win a lot of free-kicks on the edge of the area for Henry to utilise.

The policy of applying Gatusso in this way is one that inspires confidence in the Italian defence, with Marco Materazzi stating that with Gatusso dealing with Zidane, he can cope with another dangerous player, Thierry Henry. He knows that the Arsenal frontman thrives on space and Materazzi accepts he must be quick in closing down the space that Henry needs.

Materazzi is also aware that he is only playing due to the injury of defensive rock Alessandro Nesta but feels he has earned his place in the team. He has started two games (against Australia and Germany) and scored one goal (after coming on as a seventeenth minute substitute against the Czechs). Lippi has also kept faith in him after being sent off against Australia, albeit unluckily. Nesta is out of the Final too, suffering a setback with the groin injury that has ruled him out of most of the tournament. Yet with Materazzi's imperious performances at the heart of defence, they have not missed the AC Milan full-back and this is to Materazzi's credit.

Ably assisting him in defence is Fabio Cannavaro who has undoubtedly been Italy's player of the tournament. Composed, assured and brimming with experience, he has the hunger and energy of someone far younger than his thirty-two years. He has marshalled the defence with confidence and has been crucial in its security. He also inspires confidence in those around him as his reading of a situation is unrivalled. He and Materazzi therefore will give the French a far tougher test than they've had so far. His experience is telling and this game will be his hundredth cap in a mere nine years. He will only be the third Italian to reach this milestone.

In fact Materazzi's presence may have actually helped Cannavaro as they have played together for Inter Milan in the past. Cannavaro certainly cites this as one of the reasons why his form has been so imperious so far. They both know that they can mark zonally through their mutual understanding and they hope that this policy will prevent the need to manmark Henry.

A lot also depends on Juventus right-back Gianluca Zambrotta. He must be disciplined in this game and sit back slightly more than he is used to because it is likely that Henry could utilise the space behind the defender should he not retain his poistion. This may distort the rigidity of the Italian back-line and present a significant headache for Materazzi and Cannavaro.

Midfielder Daniele De Rossi is eligable again after the four-match ban he received for smashing his elbow into the face of USA striker Brian McBride. He is however only expected to sit on the bench as Lippi is likely to keep the same team that dismissed the Germans.

Tactically Lippi cites the midfield as being the key battlezone and he believes that the Italians have the versitility here to be able to dominate this area of the pitch. The critics also believe that Lippi has the tactical awareness to prevail, having played a myriad of formations so far. 4-4-1-1, 4-3-1-2, 4-3-2-1 and 4-2-3-1 are all options for a talented Italian side and he has switched between these styles of play in this World Cup.

The main man in the Italian midfield is the impressive Andrea Pirlo. If he is firing on all cylinders he can make Francesco Totti look World class. Yet if he is not, Totti is denied the service he requires and becomes a dead man on the field. If Makelele and Vieria can close Pirlo down quickly then the threat to their goal will be snuffed out and France could possibly build an attack of their own. If he is allowed to drift however then Pirlo and Totti can punish the Gallicans. And with Totti 'ninety percent sure he will quit' international football after this tournament, he, like Zidane, will be determined to go out on a high.

Vieria however has another important role and that is to provide the foil for Zidane. Vieira's excellent tournament has largely been overshadowed by Zidane's return to form but Vieira has a major job in allowing the master to play. Coupled with his defensive role, Vieira must also dart forward to buy Zidane time. This is vital due to Zidane's age but it will also pull the Italian midfield aware from Zizou and this will allow him more space and time on the ball.

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