Italy vs Sweden

[loonz]

D R A W game.

[roidan]

totti is banned 3 matches....sweden got good chance

[bwilly]

draw or 1-0 to Sweden.

dun see how Italy can score.

[Chris]

Most likely draw.

[Fishy Clown]

Yup with totti banned.... they need to change their formation. Will be disorganised. Think 1-1 or 1-0 to Sweden.

[aStRoBo|]

swede to win.

[blue.tang]

if sweden got $$$ then can buy them win

[bwilly]

lucky decide to take Italy..

really one of the best game seen in Euro2004 for now.

free flow n attack game shown by the Italian, Swede

on the backtrack most of the time.

Del Perio N C. Assano quite impressive, Swede - Ljunberg does

look dangerous on the break though.

[roidan]

wah....italy sweden draw

denmark and swden 4 points

italy 2 points

bulgaria 0 points..

if denmark sweden draw....both 5 points..

italy beat bulgaria 5 points...

sweden sure go through since they score 5 against bulgaria..denmark only scored 2 against bulgaria

and italy if can beat bulgaria alot...then may go through with sweden

so it's best that denmark beat sweden....and sweden hope that italy dun beat bulgaria by more than 5goals

then denmark and sweden go through

[jesperlam]

What a pity!!! Few more minutes to full time, they allow Sweden to score!!! And what a way to score the equaliser. Ibrahmovic with a cheeky back flick, which lob over a few CM above vieri's head.

The Sweds for the last 10-15mins was really pressurising the italians. And the italians shouldnt have brought off Casano, he had a great game. Even the commendator says its a bad sign to take off casano.

Credits to the Sweds for the Never-Say-Die effort. They deserve the point.

Final Score 1-1.

[jesperlam]

wah....italy sweden draw

denmark and swden 4 points

italy 2 points

bulgaria 0 points..

if denmark sweden draw....both 5 points..

italy beat bulgaria 5 points...

sweden sure go through since they score 5 against bulgaria..denmark only scored 2 against bulgaria

and italy if can beat bulgaria alot...then may go through with sweden

so it's best that denmark beat sweden....and sweden hope that italy dun beat bulgaria by more than 5goals

then denmark and sweden go through

Hope the italians work harder and put in more effort in their next match against Bulgaria. Pity to see such good team crash out in group stage.

The Dans played well in their game and was duly rewarded.

[bwilly]

it was good play till ard 70mins when the coach start to sub the better players.. n left the veiri.. fug.. that bugger miss alot of headers n clear chances.. not only this match but last match too..

if Italy beat Bulgaria, its 5pts for them.

so Sweden n Denmark cannot afford to lose.

Denmark 4pts (maximum7pts)

Sweden 4pts (maximum 7pts)

Italy 2pts (maximum 5pts)

Bulgaria zero pt

see the danger here?

[roidan]

Soccernet :

The draw sets up a possible three-way tie at the top of the group. Sweden and Denmark both have four points and play each other in their final game in Porto next Tuesday.

If they draw they will both finish with five points, the same number Italy will have if they beat already-eliminated Bulgaria, as expected, in their final match in Guimaraes.

If that happens the determining factor will be the number of goals Sweden and Denmark get. If the Scandinavian rivals play out a high-scoring draw of 2-2 or more Italy will be out.

The Italians only have themselves to blame for allowing such a situation to develop.

They were outstanding against the Swedes for long periods, playing brilliantly in defence, midfield and attack, and should have been more than one goal ahead by the time Sweden equalised.

Their only real failure was in front of goal - although Swedish goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson, who was on Juventus's books as a youngster, had an inspired match.

[roidan]

LISBON (Reuters) - Italy face direct elimination from Euro 2004 whatever the result of their last match if Scandinavian rivals Denmark and Sweden play out a high-scoring draw of 2-2 or more in their final group game.

If that happens, Sweden's late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw with Italy on Thursday in Porto would have cost the Italians very dear indeed.

The situation in Group C is complicated to say the least.

At present Sweden and Denmark head the group with four points from two matches and Italy follow with two after drawing both of their games against the Scandinavians. Bulgaria, who lost to both, are already eliminated.

If Italy beat Bulgaria, as expected, in Guimaraes on Tuesday and Sweden and Denmark draw the same day in Porto, all three would finish with five points.

Under tournament rules, the results of the three teams against each other would then count -- so the matches against Bulgaria would not be taken into immediate consideration.

This would leave all three teams on two points from the draws with each other. In such a case, the teams with the highest number of goals would then go through.

Sweden would by now be certain to qualify because they had scored more goals against Italy in the 1-1 draw than Denmark did in their 0-0 tie.

Italy's goals total would stay on one. If the Denmark- Sweden game finished 2-2, Denmark would have two goals for and Sweden three, both more than Italy. The same would apply with any higher scoring draw.

If the match finished 0-0, Denmark would be eliminated as they would have no goals.

But it gets really complicated with a 1-1 draw. Sweden would top the group with two goals and Italy and Denmark finish level with one. At this point the team with the best result against Bulgaria would qualify.

The Danes beat Bulgaria 2-0 so Italy would have to do better in their last game.

Can Italy rely on the Nordic teams not to make an unofficial pact to go for a 2-2 draw? Luckily for them, Scandinavians are renowned for their honesty.

Of course, if Italy fail to beat Bulgaria, they would be eliminated anyway.

On the other hand, if Sweden beat Denmark or vice versa, any win against Bulgaria would see Italy through.