Montenegro
Montenegro managed two draws and a defeat, to sit in fourth position in Group 8. They will need to attain at least a result from this contest against the world champions to ensure that they give themselves half a chance of qualifying for next year’s World Cup.
First-choice central defenders Jovan Tanasijevic and Radoslav Batak will come back into the side. Roma striker Mirko Vucinic is suspended. Fiorentina frontman Stevan Jovetic hopefull can use all his experience picked up in the Italian Serie A to plot the downfall of the Italians. Rapid Bucharest’s Vladimir Bozovic, Sporting Lisbon’s Simon Vukcevic and Rapid Vienna’s Branko Boskovic will all be influential figures in midfield.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Vukasin Poleksic (Debrecen), Mladen Bozovic (Partizan Belgrade)
Defenders: Savo Pavicevic (Energie Cottbus), Miodrag Dzudovic (Spartak Nalchik), Jovan Tanasijevic (Dynamo Moscow), Radoslav Batak (Anakaraspor), Dejan Ognjanovic (LKS Lodz), Marko Basa (Lokomotiv Moscow), Luka Pejovic (Mogren Budva), Elsad Zverotic (Luzerne)
Midfielders: Vladimir Bozovic (Rapid Bucharest), Mitar Novakovic (Amkar Perm), Milorad Pekovic (Meinz), Nikola Drincic (Amkar), Branko Boskovic (Rapid Vienna), Ivan Delic (Buducnost Podgorica), Simon Vukcevic (Sporting Lisbon)
Forwards: Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina), Mirko Vucinic (AS Roma), Nikola Vujovic (Partizan Belgrade), Radomir Djalovic (Rapid Bucharest), Fatos Beciraj (Buducnost Podgorica)
Possible Starting XI: Poleksic; Basa, Tanasijevic, Batak, Pejovic; Vukcevic, Boskovic, Bozovic, Drincic; Jovetic, Djalovic.
Italy
Italy will bid to go one better than the 0-0 draw their rivals Ireland achieved on their visit to Montenegro. The Italians needed a last minute goal to win in Cyprus and struggled to a 2-1 home win over Saturday’s opponents so it may not be as straight forward as the betting suggests. The Azzurri have played four qualifiers thus far in Group 8, which they currently top with 10 points recorded. Having said this though, goal difference is all that separates them from the second-placed Ireland, who they will face next week. Three points against the Montenegrins will be absolutely crucial to their cause of topping this group.
The likes of Gennaro Gattuso, Simone Perrotta, Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino are all struggling with injury, whilst Del Piero and Cassano were snubbed by Lippi yet again. With a lack of experience up front for the Azzurri, it will be interesting to see who lines up in attack, as Vincenzo Iaquinta looks to be the frontrunner at present to head the frontline.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Palermo), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray)
Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Olympique Lyon), Marco Motta (Roma), Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan)
Midfielders: Matteo Brighi (Roma), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Pasquale Foggia (Lazio), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (Milan)
Forwards: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal)
Possible Starting XI: Buffon; Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Grosso; De Rossi, Pirlo, Palombo; Di Natale, Quagliarella; Iaquinta.
Form Guide
Montenegro
November 19 v Macedonia (H) WON 2-1
October 15 v Italy (A) LOST 1-2
September 10 v Ireland (H) DREW 0-0
September 6 v Bulgaria (H) DREW 2-2
August 20 v Hungary (A) DREW 3-3
Italy
February 10 v Brazil (N) LOST 0-2
November 19 v Greece (A) DREW 1-1
October 15 v Montenegro (H) WON 2-1
October 11 v Bulgaria (A) DREW 0-0
September 10 v Georgia (H) WON 2-0
Prediction
Obviously the Italians are without several key players for the qualifier; however, they are the reigning world champions, meaning that they should be able to edge out strong competition from the new boys of world football.
