Euro 2012. Echoes of 2006: Another Germany-Italy Semifinal ‎

The semifinal match between Italy and Germany is awaited with excitement by both teams. 

 Cesare Prandelli

 Montolivo's boot

 Andrea Pirlo and Gigi Buffon

Italy hopes that the outcome will be the same as the one of the 2006 World Cup, when Italy did not only win against Germany but then went on to become World Champion. 

Italy’s team seems to have great chemistry. The game against England demonstrated the progresses of the team thanks to an amazing Andrea Pirlo, who is becoming the undisputed leader of the Azzurri.   
 

 On the other side, Germany is determined to defeat Italy in order to redeem its reputation from 2006. As the German tabloid Bild reports, “Germany can even the score of six years ago against the black beast Italy.” Bild also reported that the only real obstacle to Germany’s victory might be Italy’s goalkeeper Gigi Buffon, especially given the fact that defense seems to be “Italy’s Achilles heel.”

"We only have one weapon. We've got to risk something and play our game. That's our only chance. We can't turn backward," Coach Cesare Prandelli said today. "Sincerely, when I close my eyes and dream I see fantastic things. I'm dreaming about a magical evening."

The Italian team has a good reputation in Spain, the team of which is playing the semifinal match against Portugal today and could be a potential finalist of the European Cup 2012. 

The Spanish press eulogized the Italian performance against England: El Mundo wrote that “Buffon and his companions arrived in the semifinals for his own greatness and not for a fluke.” MARCA also praised the great performance of Italy against England and especially commended Andrea Pirlo, who, they write, should receive the title of “man of the match,” and whose penalty kick will remain in the history of soccer. 

The semifinal game, which will take place tomorrow, will be particularly emotional for the Italian midfielder player Riccardo Montolivo, born from an Italian father and a German mother (Montolivo wears the flag of both nations on his football boots). Even if he declared his attachment to his German roots, Montolivo defines himself “99% Italian,” being born and raised in Italy. 
 

Montolivo stated that Germany has a very strong squad and that Italy should watch out for Germany, because “even when they have a profound respect for the Italian team, they do not have an inferiority complex over us.”

Italy is also waiting for the score forecast by the famous Calabrese parrot Carlos, that is becoming a celebrity pet as Paul the Octopus was during the 2010 World Cup. The parrot demonstrated excellent premonition skills on the European Cup qualifications games and the Cup matches, and it also forecasted Italy as a winner over England.