Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has billed next month's crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland as his "World Cup final".
The Azzurri beat Georgia 2-0 on Saturday to remain second in Group B, and Donadoni is only too aware of the importance of the clash in Glasgow, after Scotland's 3-1 triumph over Ukraine kept them one point clear of Italy with two games to play.
"It's a little bit like a World Cup final," Donadoni said of the November 17th match. "In 90 minutes we are playing for a year's work - it's our final.
"We are second, not a bad position to be in for the final sprint. Now we hope to give one last effort."
A slip-up in Glasgow would be a huge disappointment for the world champions, even though they have never won on Scottish soil - a trend Donadoni hopes to buck next month.
"Scotland is a team that transforms itself when playing at home," Donadoni continued. "They have a lot of enthusiasm and are well-organised.
"Ukraine did make life difficult for them to impose their own play and that's what we will have to do.
"We are technically superior, but in Glasgow we will need a great Italy."
Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko believes Scotland are now in total control of their destiny.
Goals from Kenny Miller, Lee McCulloch and James McFadden gave Scotland a thoroughly-deserved victory at Hampden on Saturday, with the away side's lone reply coming from Chelsea striker Shevchenko.
Scotland's next match is a potentially-tricky encounter with Georgia in Tbilisi on Wednesday, before a mouth-watering match against Italy.
Both fixtures are likely to be extremely tough for Scotland, who currently sit top of Group B, one point ahead of Italy and two in front of France.
But Shevchenko believes Alex McLeish's men have every chance of making the finals.
The former AC Milan striker said: "Scotland is a good team and this is a big success for the country and the national side.
"This is a great result for them and keeps them first in the group with every chance of qualifying.
"It is a very tough group, but everything is in Scotland's hands.
"They have two very important games left which everything now depends on."
