If there’s one thing that Italy have shown in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, it’s that they’re no longer a particularly good team. Coach Antonio Conte’s overly cautious tactics and reluctance to put faith in the Azzurri’s talented youngsters have left his side impotent and uninspiring, and their 1-0 win over Malta in their last match has done little to silence the critics on the peninsula. He’s running out of time to rework his formula before next summer’s real test.
Italy vs. Bulgaria live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch Euro 2016 qualifying online
Italy will be looking for an improvement against Bulgaria on Sunday.
Paolo Bruno/Getty Images
The good news is that they should make it to France, as a rather kindly draw has left them sitting level on points with group leaders Croatia despite their underperformance. A win over fourth-placed Bulgaria in Palermo on Sunday would move them even closer to sealing their place, though they can’t quite ease up yet with third-placed Norway only two points in arrears.
When they last met
Italy went perilously close to suffering a shock defeat in the reverse fixture in Sofia, with goals from Bulgaria’s Ivelin Popov and Iliyan Misanski canceling out a fourth minute own goal by their teammate Yordan Minev. However, with just over five minutes left on the clock, substitute Eder popped up to mark his debut for the Azzurri with a dramatic equalizer.
Key player: Marco Verratti (Italy)
Italy's starting lineup has looked increasingly elderly over recent times, though one youngster that has forced his way into Conte's thoughts is Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti. His game has become more dynamic than that of the rather one-dimensional Andrea Pirlo, and he has the potential to push on and become one of the world's top midfielders.
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Italy
TV: ESPN Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet One (Canada), ITV 4 (U.K.)
Online: ESPN3, Watch ESPN (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), ITV Player (U.K.)
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