By: COLIN REESE
To be perfectly clear, Brazil’s first-choice XI is clearly the best XI in the World Cup, and Brazil’s second-choice XI might be the second best XI in the entire tournament as well.
Nevertheless, Italy’s roster is more versatile than Brazil’s (and perhaps deeper) because Italy has the option of using so many different formations and so many different combinations of players, whereas Brazil’s roster is a well-oiled machine full of creative and athletic footballers who don’t care who they play and who are all able to instantly adjust to any line-up changes without missing a beat.
Brazil can beat anyone without even hiding or concealing which players Felipão is going to start, and each starter for Brazil is a master at his position.
The only possible line-up toss-ups for Felipão are Maicon vs Daniel Alves or Luiz Gustavo vs. Fernandinho. Hernanes could be chosen over Oscar for tactical reasons in some games, but Oscar is the starting meia-armador.
It’s worth mentioning that, for many Brazilians, Neymar is not only just the player wearing the famed Camisa Dez, but also the player really playing that role (despite lining up out left) with Oscar as his partner in crime.
NeyMaster in many ways is not only the most dangerous scoring threat but also the most gifted and important creator.
But unlike Brazil, Italy and Prandelli have a whole host of tactical adjustments and formations that they can surprise opponents with. Italy has footballers like Antonio Candreva that aren’t predicted to start but who are nevertheless dynamic and lethal talents. The Lazio attacking midfielder can be deployed as an attacking midfielder of several varieties in addition to being a legitimate and capable wingback option when Italy uses the 3-5-2.
Looking at Italy closer, a player like Marco Verratti who has been described as a regista and also as a “falso trequartista” by Gazzetta dello Sport is like Napoleon in size and spirit, and although he may or may not be a starter this summer, he is a true fantasista that tackles and runs with conviction.
Claudio Marchisio will probably start over Verratti to give Italy a box-to-box midfielder to compliment Thiago Motta as the mediano or defensive midfielder (assuming Daniele De Rossi is playing as the center back in the 3-5-2) and Andrea Pirlo as the regista with Mario Balotelli as the first striker and Antonio Cassano playing as the second striker or trequartista depending on your interpretation.
Italy has more weapons in its arsenal as well.
At forward, Alessio Cerci, Ciro Immobile, and Lorenzo Insigne are lethal attackers, but Italy’s first choice XI is likely the following 3-5-2 formation (shown below in a diagram looking like a 3-2-3-2 formation):
Gigi BUFFON; Andrea BARZAGLI, Daniele DE ROSSI/Leonardo BONUCCI, Giorgio CHIELLINI; Ignazio ABATE, Thiago MOTTA/Daniele DE ROSSI, Andrea PIRLO, Marco VERRATTI/Claudio MARCHISIO, Mattia DE SCIGLIO; Mario BALOTELLI, Antonio CASSANO.
There is a belief in Italy and amongst Azzurri fans that De Rossi will start over Leonardo Bonucci as the center back in the three-man defense, and this belief has been validated by Prandelli himself. Prandelli might still be planning on starting Bonucci in the middle of the defense, but he has alluded to starting De Rossi there as well.
Italy’s first-choice XI is formidable indeed, and it will be interesting to see if Verratti or Candreva win starting spots over Marchisio.
Perhaps, Verratti is already the starter over Marchisio.
With Verratti starting, Italy would be fielding three playmakers at once – Pirlo, Verratti, and Cassano – and this makes for a very creative combination of players for a national team that is often incorrectly stereotyped as just a defensive-minded and tactically-sound squad.
Italy has always placed a premium on creative and imaginative players, and this Azzurri squad has Pirlo, Verratti, Candreva, Insigne, Cerci, Cassano, and Balotelli.
In this summer’s World Cup, Prandelli will likely field a variety of formations and line-ups, and it will be interesting to see if Prandelli ever goes extremely offensive and boldly deploys players like Candreva, Insigne, or Cerci as terzini fluidificanti or wingbacks instead of outside backs like Abate and De Sciglio (as well as Matteo Darmian) who also excel as wingbacks.
Look for Prandelli and Italy to adapt their tactics depending on their opponents, but Andrea Pirlo and Mario Balotelli will be constants: Pirlo as the midfield maestro and Balotelli at striker as Italy’s giant killer.