Prandelli ready for "most important match" of his career

The Azzurri take on Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani at Natal's Estadio Das Dunas on Tuesday knowing that a draw will be enough to see them through to the last 16.

But Prandelli, who won plenty of praise at home for leading Italy to the Euro 2012 finals with his attacking style of play, said his squad would go for the kill in Natal.

"If we want to get a positive result we must have a winning mentality. We shouldn't even think about a draw," Prandelli said. "It's an in-or-out game. We are still in contention and we must be positive."

Asked to rate Tuesday's game, Prandelli said: "It's the most important match of my career. I can't compare it to anything else."

The coach described Suarez and Cavani as "one of the strongest attacking pairs of the World Cup" and hinted that he may counter the Uruguay duo by fielding Ciro Immobile alongside Mario Balotelli for the first time in the tournament.

"Immobile is a modern striker. He knows how to play deep and between the lines, he has a sense for goal and knows how to help the team. Nowadays, if you want to be a champion you must have all of these characteristics. If you are lacking just one, you are not a complete player. And I think he has every chance to be a very complete player."

The Italian media have speculated on a 3-5-2 formation in Natal. And while Prandelli declined to give the formation, he did little to quash such suggestions.

"I never said Immobile and Balotelli cannot play together. But if we decide to play with two strikers, we must make a few changes," Prandelli said.

In their first two matches, against England and Costa Rica, Italy played with four defenders, five midfielders and Balotelli as the sole striker.

"I have some thoughts (on Tuesday's lineup), but I want to keep everyone guessing."

At the same time, Prandelli played down the importance of tactics. "Tomorrow it's about character and mentality rather than tactics."

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez, for his part, said his team was fully aware of what it would take to win the game.

"We know what this game means for us and we know what we have to do," Tabarez said. "We have a group of very experienced players, and this experience will help us."

Tabarez, who also managed Italian outfits Cagliari and AC Milan during a coaching career spanning 24 years, described playing against Italy as "a gift from heaven."

"They are four times world champions. They have made a lot of contributions to world football, in terms of tactics and players' discipline. Playing against Italy is a gift from heaven above. And if we win it won't be like winning against any other team," Tabarez said.

Suarez, meanwhile, confirmed that he had fully recovered from his knee injury, while midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who had announced he would be leaving the national team after the World Cup, refused to contemplate the thought that this might be his last game for the Azzurri.

"I haven't even considered the idea that it may be my last game with the national team. I want to go on wearing this shirt, which is one of the most beautiful things that can happen to a player," the 35-year-old said.