Prandelli looking forward to Spain duel

Salvador (Brazil), June 23 (IANS)

Cesare Prandelli.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli says his team will have nothing to lose in the likely event of the Azzurri meeting Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals.

Brazil’s 4-2 victory over Italy Saturday has set up a tantalising rematch of last year’s European Championship final in Fortaleza Thursday, reports Xinhua.

Only a loss to Nigeria for Spain and a Uruguay victory by 12 goals or more against Tahiti in Sunday’s Group B matches would save Italy from meeting the reigning European and World Champions in the final four.

“Matches like these make you grow and if we face Spain we’ll try to play our normal game,” Prandelli said Saturday.

The 55-year-old insisted he was satisfied with his team’s spirited second-half performance against Brazil at the Arena Fonte Nova.

“After halftime we played great. I’m very pleased with what I saw, the way we reacted and had desire to attack deep. Of course against sides of Brazil’s quality, you are always at risk of conceding a goal if you make a mistake and unfortunately that is what happened to us,” he said.

Brazil, meanwhile, will likely play Uruguay in Wednesday’s other semifinal at Belo Horizonte’s Mineirao Stadium, if Spain expectedly beats Nigeria.

The Selecao have now posted five wins and four draws since their last loss — a 1-2 defeat to England at Wembley in February.

“This result (against Italy) gives us even more confidence. We are not going to get too excited because we still have work to do. But today we have beaten a quality opponent which shows we are on the right track,” Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said.