[D-Kin]

Panucci ready for Belgium battle Friday 30 May, 2008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Italy take on Belgium in a friendly this evening and Christian Panucci is taking the pre-Euro 2008 friendly seriously.

The world champions host the Belgians at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence ahead of June’s European Championship and the players are now fighting for places in the starting 11.

Panucci, who scored the goal against Scotland that secured qualification for the competition, certainly doesn’t see this evening’s game as a chore.

“There’s no such thing as a friendly in the Azzurri shirt,” the Roma stopper insisted.

“Of course the result won’t matter, but it’s the last game before Euro 2008 and so we need to put in a hard-working, serious performance and try to win.

“I think that Roberto Donadoni will experiment and then we will have to see who he fields for the first game against Holland.

“The important thing is that we are a strong group and we believe in ourselves. We are the world champions and so we are obviously going to the Euro to win it, even if there are other contenders.

“We are considered to be amongst the favourites and we will fight to reach the end.

“The Holland game is vital because it is always important to get off on the right foot, especially in these kind of competitions.”

Italy (probable): Buffon; Panucci, Cannavaro, Barzagli, Grosso; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Camoranesi; Di Natale, Toni

Belgium (probable): Stijnen; Hoefkens, Kompany, Vertonghen, Pocagnoli; Witsel, Simons, Fellaini, Defour, Mudingayi; Dembele

channel4.com - Football Italia

The team has been written as if we're gonna play 4-4-2 but I doubt we will, or at least I hope we don't.

Belgium aren't great, if we take this seriously we should win comfortably.