Manchester City’s Italian coach Roberto Mancini has given Italy boss Cesare Prandelli tips on how to beat England in Euro 2012’s quarter-final showdown on Sunday, and warned that Mario Balotelli could be the decisive factor in the game.

Italy 2 Republic of Ireland 0

Giovanni Trapattoni has recalled Kevin Doyle tonight as Republic of Ireland attempt to salvage some pride from their European Championship campaign and knock Italy out of the tournament.

Ireland may be pointless in Group C but Italy remain wary of Giovanni Trapattoni’s men.

Roberto Mancini cannot possibly have imagined he would see this sentence in print; but Mario Balotelli, the man regarded as probably the maddest, baddest and most dangerous man to know in the Premier League, played for Italy against Croatia last night and left many onlookers wondering if he could do with being, well... a bit more nasty.

Cesare Prandelli has only one decision to make for tonight’s Group C duel with Croatia: does he stick with the front two he picked against Spain or should he give Antonio Di Natale a start?

Spain’s draw with a surprisingly impressive Italy was not a bad result for the defending Euro champions, but their performance threw up more questions than answers ahead of their clash with Ireland on Thursday.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has labelled Thursday’s game against Croatia as “crucial” to their hopes of advancing past the group stages of the European Championship.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque felt his decision to start with Cesc Fabregas rather than a recognised centre-forward was justified by the Barcelona midfielder’s goal in the 1-1 draw against Italy yesterday.

Four first-phase clashes at Euro 2012 have a historical resonance, says Paul Kelly.

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci was today included in Italy’s final Euro 2012 squad despite being mentioned in the latest match-fixing investigation to engulf the country.

The parent club of Italian footballer Piermario Morosini, who died during a game on Saturday, will take care of his disabled sister, according to its captain Antonio Di Natale.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli says Antonio Di Natale will be considered for selection for Euro 2012 despite overlooking the veteran striker in the past.

CELTIC’S Europa League campaign ended last night as they drew one-all against Udinese in their thrilling Group I game in the Stadio Friuli.

Udinese 1 Celtic 1

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has not ruled out a return to international football for Antonio Di Natale, despite the striker again being left out of his latest squad.

Arsene Wenger insisted he always knew Arsenal had what it took to triumph over adversity after watching them come from behind to seal their place in the Champions League group stage.

WAS it the £25 million goal or the £25 million save?

Udinese 1 Arsenal 2

IF this first game since the formal departure of Cesc Fabregas is anything to go by, Arsenal are going to have a long hard season unless Arsene Wenger makes some serious investments.

Arsenal 1 Udinese 0

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made two changes to his starting XI as the Gunners began life without Cesc Fabregas by taking on Udinese in tonight’s Champions League play-off first leg at the Emirates Stadium.

The agent of Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale has brushed aside reports linking his client with a move to Juventus this month.

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi took full responsibility for his side’s World Cup group exit, admitting the reigning champions had played with “terror in their hearts, heads and legs”.

Slovakia 3 Italy 2

Slovakia 1 Italy 0

NEW ZEALAND coach Ricki Herbert was ecstatic last night after world champions Italy were saved from humiliation against his team of minnows only by a controversial penalty.

Italy 1 New Zealand 1

DEFENDING champions Italy had to come from behind to salvage a draw in their World Cup Group F opener against Paraguay in Cape Town last night.

Italy 1 Paraguay 1

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi has dropped the strongest hint yet that his country’s best goalscorer will not start tonight’s World Cup Group F opener with Paraguay.

ITALY have made it, and with a match to spare, just as they did when they won the World Cup in 1982 and 2006, as Marcello Lippi was keen to point out.

Andrea Pirlo has kept his place in the team for Italy's World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria tonight.

EVEN Robbie Keane admitted yesterday that we’re probably all a bit weary at this stage about the constant flashbacks to Ireland’s night of shame here in Nicosia three years ago.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi will not call up a replacement for injured striker Antonio Di Natale.

ITALY and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has said his team would be wrong to underestimate Montenegro and focus on the top-of-the-group showdown against Ireland next week.

Udinese 2 Tottenham 0

Italy 2 Montenegro 1

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi has left out veteran striker Alessandro Del Piero from his 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Ireland’s group against Bulgaria and Montenegro.

Italy 2 Georgia 0

Italy coach Marcello Lippi admitted his side were lucky after an injury-time winner secured them a 2-1 victory in Cyprus in their opening World Cup qualifier on Saturday night.

Italy 2 Cyprus 1

MARCELLO LIPPI failed to weave his magic in his first match since returning to the Italy helm as the Azzurri were forced to recover from two goals down to draw with Austria in a friendly in Nice last night.