Ghedin ‘confident’ ahead of Italy game

This evening, Malta will face four-time world champions Italy in what is the seventh competitive match between the two neighbouring countries.

The visitors enter the match as heavy favourites, but Malta are led by a man who knows exactly what to expect.

Pietro Ghedin – who has in the past formed part of Italy’s managerial staff under Cesare Maldini, Dino Zoff and Giovanni Trapattoni – warned that Malta will be no pushovers.

While underlining Italy’s strength, Ghedin told uefa.com “I always have great feelings as I look back to my days with the Azzurri but now I work for Malta. When the national anthems are played, I will stay silent, but lots of memories will be coming back of both sides.

The 61-year-old added “I am quite upbeat about my squad. The important thing is that my boys are improving all the time and are getting there. I am very confident.”

Malta are without a competitive victory since beating Armenia 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier in June, 2013. That campaign again saw Italy and Malta in the same group, with Italy winning both games 2-0.

Speaking ahead of Malta’s 3-0 loss against Norway on Friday, Ghedin said “My message to the players is to be brave, to keep on striving hard and never to be afraid. If you are afraid or if you flinch, you cannot confront your opposition. If you are brave, you play in a much calmer manner.”

Following Italy’s narrow win against Azerbaijan on Friday, coach Antonio Conte said that he wants his team to avoid leaving games “in the balance” ahead of tomorrow’s Euro 2016 qualifier.

The Azzurri have come in for criticism despite winning their opening two Group H games.

“These are games where you face a team that played with almost 10 men man-marking,” Conte said.

“They took on Bulgaria with a different attitude, which I suppose means they respect us. We have six points after two games, that is positive, so let’s continue.”

He added “I have complained about my teams on occasion when we won. [Now] I complain that we need this as an experience not to leave games in the balance.”

That victory against Azerbaijan followed a 2-0 success in Norway, but Italy are still locked at the top of the group with Croatia.

Italy will have to do without Simone Zaza and Mattia De Sciglio after the pair suffered slight injuries in Friday’s victory.

While leaving controversial Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli out of his squad, Conte has recalled Juventus playmaker Andrea Pirlo less than four months after playing what was widely thought to be his final game for his country.

The 2006 World Cup winner, who missed the opening month of the Serie A season with a hip injury, was called up by coach Conte after forward Giacomo Bonaventura pulled out with a thigh injury.

The 35-year-old is expected to play some part in tomorrow’s game, much to the delight of the numerous Bianconeri fans in Malta.

As expected, the game is a sell-out with only a few hundred tickets unsold by Saturday.