Italy vs Malta | Large Maltese contingent in Italy for crunch match

A large contingent of Maltese supporters made its way to Firenze where Malta will face four-time World Cup winners Italy in a crunch Euro 2016 qualifier. Some supporters flew over on Wednesday while others arrived today.

Italy are two points adrift of group H leaders Croatia and tonight’s game is a must win if Antonio Conte’s team are to clinch first spot.

Next week, Italy host Bulgaria and Conte said that the two games are of utmost importance in Italy’s quest to seal automatic qualification.

Some 500 Maltese fans will be at the Artemio Franchi stadium and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi are also expected to be present.

Malta do not pose any serious threat to an Italian team which includes stars such as Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele de Rossi but Conte has warned against complacency and noted Malta’s improvement in recent years.

“They defend with eight men. They are a tough opponent for every team,” a typically cautious Conte said.

Acknowledging Italy’s superiority, Malta’s coach Pietro Ghedin said his players are well-prepared for the impending challenge.

"We are ready for the game but we will see what happens,” Ghedin said, promising that his players will do their best.

The game starts at 20:45 tonight.