JUVENTUS boss Luigi del Neri and Alessandro Del Piero swept into Tallaght Stadium yesterday afternoon with the cameras rolling and the paparazzi snapping.

Slovakia 3 Italy 2

ITALY goalkeeper Federico Marchetti is excited about the opportunity to fill in for injured veteran Gianluigi Buffon tomorrow against New Zealand.

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 insists he will not rush chief playmaker Andrea Pirlo back from injury at the World Cup.

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 dropped Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi from their 23-man World Cup squad.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has dismissed speculation he could make a £15m bid for Italy winger Simone Pepe.

ITALY will need to display character to handle the problems the Republic of Ireland will inevitably cause them in tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier at Croke Park, Gianluigi Buffon said last night.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has named a 24-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers away to the Republic of Ireland on Saturday and at home to Cyprus four days later.

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

MOHAMED HOMOS scored the only goal as Egypt claimed a memorable Confederations Cup victory over Italy in Johannesburg last night.

Half time: Italy 1 Republic of Ireland 0

Andy Keogh was pitched into battle with world champions Italy as the Republic of Ireland attempted to drag themselves back into the race for automatic qualification.

Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino and Antonio di Natale are all missing for Italy but Azzurri coach Marcello Lippi still plans to still field an attacking line-up against the Republic of Ireland in Bari.

AS IF the result in Dublin wasn’t enough of a bubble-burster, Italy had to go and canter to the most straightforward of wins on what was supposed to be a potentially tricky, if short, hop across the Adriatic Sea.

All three Italian sides in action recorded impressive victories in the opening round of UEFA Cup group matches this evening.

Udinese 2 Tottenham 0

Italy 2 Montenegro 1

IN these troubled times it’s gratifying to know that Italy’s coach reads the Irish Examiner.

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.

Christian Rigano scored twice as struggling Messina boosted their survival hopes with a surprise 2-0 victory over 10-man Palermo today.