Was it a case of Italy playing badly or Chile playing well? I would say that it was a bit of both. Italy made their now customary poor World Cup start with their 2-2 draw to Chile in Bordeaux yesterday but if they are to progress in the tournament they will have to do better than this.

Chile did indeed play well yesterday and they are the sort of side who may cause problems for mid-level teams but when they meet a really good side, then their poor defence could land them in trouble.

This Italian team is not like the ones of old, this is not a side that would frighten you. An old-style Italian team would have had no problems building on their perfect start and would have ended up winning the match 2-0.

This Italian team ended up having to chase the game and, were it not for another questionable penalty decision late in the match, would have been looking at a defeat this morning.

If you ask me what one thing in particular this Italian team lacks, it is a midfield playmaker. Guys like Roberto Di Matteo, Dino Baggio and Demetrio Albertini are good workers and good chasers but they are not the sort of players who can lay on the defence-splitting pass. Likewise, Italy looked cumbersome and predictable in attack. Roberto Baggio still has some wonderful touches but his partner yesterday, Christian Vieri, is a big static centre forward of the old-fashioned variety - even allowing for the fact that the took his goal very well.

If I were Italian coach Cesare Maldini, I would now give serious consideration to playing Alessandro Del Piero alongside Baggio in attack. People tell me that Maldini has said that he will never play the two together. Given the predictability of his side I would say he should consider the option. Given the way things went yesterday I would imagine Maldini will be hoping that Del Piero recovers full fitness quickly.

You have to give credit to Baggio for the way he took his penalty in an obvious pressure situation. You can see that he is still a great player. Still thinking on his feet and still trying to read the game around him.

As for Chile, you have to concede that they did very well. Marcello Salas and Ivan Zamorano fully lived up to their extravagant billing. Salas was particularly good in the way he got up to head his second goal, while his quick reaction following the corner kick leading to his first goal is proof that he is the genuine goalscoring article.

Obviously, Zamorano had a very good game too, and his presence was continually felt by the Italian defence. Another Chilean player who impressed me was midfielder Francisco Rojas, who was always keen to get on the ball and who looked comfortable when in possession.

To some extent Chile lived up to pre-match assessments as regards their allegedly vulnerable defence. Italy's opening goal was created by two passes over a 75-yard stretch and that's not the sort of goal that a decent defence should ever concede. Against sides more determined than Italy yesterday, Chile's defensive weaknesses could cost them dear.

My final thought again concerns the refereeing. We had a bad decision on Wednesday - the penalty awarded to Scotland in their defeat by Brazil in the opening game - and yesterday's decision by Nigerian referee Lucian Bouchardeau was even worse since this was a clear case of involuntary hand ball. This was "ball against hand" not "hand against ball". Roberto Baggio was three feet away from Ronaldo Fuentes when he hit the ball at him. To my mind this was simply not a penalty.

Defenders, however, will now know that they have to be careful in the penalty area and that referees at these finals will take decisions against defenders. If the refereeing remains like this and remains consistent, then I see no problem because the players will simply accept and adapt. Apart from the two penalty decisions, however, the refereeing has so far been good overall, as indeed has the competition itself, which is already shaping into a terrific World Cup.