ITALY defender Gianluca Zambrotta has warned Spain that his side are aiming to take full advantage of their survival of the so-called 'Group of Death'.
After a 3-0 thrashing by Holland and a 1-1 draw with Romania, Italy beat France 2-0 to scrape through as runners-up and now face a quarter-final showdown with the much-fancied Spaniards on Sunday.
Luis Aragones' men have won two games in style and face Greece tonight, but Zambrotta is optimistic about the Azzurri's chances, knowing Spain have a history of starting well and floundering when the going gets tough.
"Spain are a very technical team but they leave spaces in defence and we will have to be smart to attack them and hurt them," said Zambrotta, who knows many of Sunday's opponents from his time at Barcelona.
"Their history is not good but they are in good form, although they have some flaws."
Spain beat Italy 1-0 last month in an international friendly in Elche courtesy of David Villa's stunning volley, but they have not won a competitive game against them since 1920.
In their most recent clash - a quarter-final at the World Cup in 1994 - the Italians won 2-1.
However, in Austria and Switzerland Roberto Donadoni's men have struggled to reproduce the form which won them the World Cup two years ago and gave them top spot in their qualifying group ahead of France.
Tuesday's win over France was professional, if not particularly impressive.
Zambrotta, who joined AC Milan earlier this month, is confident his team will hit peak form by the time they step on to the pitch in Vienna'sErnst Happel Stadium.
"The important thing is that we reacted and we didn't make any mistakes," he said. "This can only be positive as we are learning from our errors.
"I am convinced the best is yet to come."
The Azzurri will have to do without World Cup-winning midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo, who has been the team's best player in the group games, as both are suspended.
Having already lost captain Fabio Cannavaro to a serious ankle injury before the tournament, Zambrotta believes Italy can overcome this latest setback.
"We are a united group," he said. "This is the strength of our group.
"We will miss Pirlo and Gattuso, who are two pivotal players in the team, but we know we have other players who can replace them and can do the job."
Luis Aragones' men have won two games in style and face Greece tonight, but Zambrotta is optimistic about the Azzurri's chances, knowing Spain have a history of starting well and floundering when the going gets tough.
"Spain are a very technical team but they leave spaces in defence and we will have to be smart to attack them and hurt them," said Zambrotta, who knows many of Sunday's opponents from his time at Barcelona.
"Their history is not good but they are in good form, although they have some flaws."
Spain beat Italy 1-0 last month in an international friendly in Elche courtesy of David Villa's stunning volley, but they have not won a competitive game against them since 1920.
In their most recent clash - a quarter-final at the World Cup in 1994 - the Italians won 2-1.
However, in Austria and Switzerland Roberto Donadoni's men have struggled to reproduce the form which won them the World Cup two years ago and gave them top spot in their qualifying group ahead of France.
Tuesday's win over France was professional, if not particularly impressive.
Zambrotta, who joined AC Milan earlier this month, is confident his team will hit peak form by the time they step on to the pitch in Vienna'sErnst Happel Stadium.
"The important thing is that we reacted and we didn't make any mistakes," he said. "This can only be positive as we are learning from our errors.
"I am convinced the best is yet to come."
The Azzurri will have to do without World Cup-winning midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo, who has been the team's best player in the group games, as both are suspended.
Having already lost captain Fabio Cannavaro to a serious ankle injury before the tournament, Zambrotta believes Italy can overcome this latest setback.
"We are a united group," he said. "This is the strength of our group.
"We will miss Pirlo and Gattuso, who are two pivotal players in the team, but we know we have other players who can replace them and can do the job."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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