Italy v Ghana: Can the sick man of European football re-establish credibility or will a lively African upstart put him in his place? European craft and tradition goes head-to-head with African youth this evening when Italy open their campaign against debutants Ghana in Hanover.
Everyone knows Italy's build-up to these finals has been less than perfect. Leaving aside the implications of the massive corruption scandal back home, the Italian squad has been plagued by injuries. Midfielder Gennaro Gattuso and defender Gianluca Zambrotta are both ruled out tonight, while defender Alessandro Nesta and playmaker Francesco Totti both play despite doubts about their fitness.
Italy face a huge challenge against a tough, physical Ghana side which, with an average squad age of 25 years and two months, is the youngest at the finals. As always for Italy, the challenge will be as much mental as physical as the players attempt to leave domestic troubles behind them.
The point is not lost on Ghana's experienced defender Sammy Kuffour, a man familiar with Italian football since he plays for AS Roma: "Italy are one of the biggest teams in the competition but us, we have nothing to lose."
Allesandro Del Piero or Totti, that is the question for Lippi. Despite Totti's admission that he is only 70 per cent fit, Lippi may still be tempted to field him tonight behind a twin strike force of Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino.
Conventional wisdom would suggest the fully fit Del Piero would be a better choice, but the Juventus player continues to look like yesterday's man - hence Lippi's temptation to field Totti.
Italy's biggest problems could come in midfield where Mauro Camoranesi, Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi will be pushed to contain Stephan Appiah, Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari. Likewise, if Nesta fails to hold up, then many Italian fans will look on his probable substitute, the rustic Marco Materazzi, with trepidation.
Nor will Italy be helped by the enthusiasm, dynamism and aggressive attitude Ghana are likely to bring to their long-awaited World Cup debut. For 20 years and more, Ghana has been one of the strongest nations in African football and their failure to qualify for the World Cup owed more to poor management, on and off the pitch, than to a lack of playing talent. Ghana have a great chance to prove that point this evening.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
ITALY (4-3-1-2): Buffon: Zaccardo, Nesta, Cannavaro, Grosso; Camoranesi, Pirlo, De Rossi; Totti; Toni, Gilardino
GHANA: (4-4-2): Adjei; Paintsil, Kuffour, Mensah, Pappoe; Muntari, Essien, Appiah, Addo; Gyan, Amoah.
Italy v Ghana Hanover, kick-off 8.0
On TV: RTÉ 2, BBC 1
