ROME: Italy can qualify for the European Championship with a win over Slovenia on Tuesday, although coach Cesare Prandelli is still unsatisfied with his squad.
Italy struggled to beat the Faeroe Islands 1-0 on Friday, with many of the Azzurri appearing out of condition due to a players’ strike that postponed the opening weekend of Serie A. “Evenings like those help you understand your limits and mistakes,” Prandelli said. “We’re still not a solid squad.”
Still, Italy holds a commanding eight-point lead over Slovenia and Serbia in Group C and needs only two points from its remaining three matches to qualify for next year’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine.
It was little more than a year ago that the Azzurri were embarrassed with a first-round elimination from the World Cup, after which Prandelli replaced Marcello Lippi.
Of the more than 50 teams in Euro 2012 qualifying, Italy has allowed the fewest goals – one. (Agencies)