ITALY AND WORLD football minnows Luxembourg meet in a friendly tomorrow, the first match between the countries since 1981.
The two nations have faced off on six previous occasions, all in World Cup qualifiers, during which the Italians scored 19 goals while conceding just one.
Italian coach Cesare Prandelli has named five uncapped players in his provisional 32-man squad for Euro 2012 and is expected to announce his final 23 this week.
Ireland face Italy in Poznan in their final Group C game of course on 18 June.
Mattia Destro (Siena), Emanuele Giaccherini (Juventus), Ezequiel Schelotto (Atalanta), Luca Cigarini (Atalanta) and Marco Verratti (Pescara) have never represented the Azzurri at senior level. Verratti, who secured promotion to the Serie A next season with Pescara, joins Angelo Ogbonna (Torino) as the only other second division player.
Prandelli has also included strikers Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano, while handing Salvatore Bocchetti a first call-up under his stewardship. Balotelli returns to the squad after being left out of a friendly against the United States in February following a four-game suspension he received for stomping on Tottenham’s Scott Parker in January
Prandelli will use friendlies with Luxembourg and Russia on June 2 to fine-tune the Italians’ game plan ahead of Euro 2012 matches against holders Spain, Republic of Ireland and Croatia. Luxembourg, who defeated Macedonia FYR 2-1 in their most recent match, will be looking to keep the score respectable.
Ranked 119th in the world, Luxembourg are likely to hand 17-year-old Chris Philipps just his second cap, while Maurice Deville, who is based at German club SV Elversberg, is expected to make his third appearance. Deville, a 19-year-old striker, has scored twice in two appearances, with both goals coming in Luxembourg’s 2-1 win over Macedonia at the Josy Barthel Stadium.
Meanwhile, midfielder Rene Peters will equal Carlo Weis’ record of most appearances (87) for the national team. Peters, a 30-year-old midfielder from local club Jeunesse Esch, has played 86 times for Luxembourg and could break the record against Malta next month.
Parma’s Stadio Ennio Tardini will host the match.
