Italy vs Uruguay Preview: Winner Takes All

The Group of Death climaxes tonight and after all the drama and excitement, it has all come down to this extremely high-staked, yet stunningly simple equation - win or perish. Having both fallen victim to the Cinderella story of this World Cup thus far, Costa Rica, Italy and Uruguay will now meet for the right to join the Ticos in the Round of 16. Both the teams failed to match the zeal shown by Costa Rica in their defeats and now have put themselves in this rather unenviable do-or-die situation.
The return of Luis Suarez was a massive boost for the Uruguayans and his instant impact against England has removed the doubts which lingered over his form. Edinson Cavani did superbly against the Three Lions, shutting out Steven Gerrard from the game completely, while his role in both the Celeste goals cannot be underestimated. He will start as the second striker, just behind Suarez. Christian Rodriguez is likely to continue his duties as the sole attacking midfielder behind the two strikers. Jose Gimenez, who put in an impressive shift against England, will pair up with Diego Godin at the heart of the Uruguayan defence who will have the childish task of keeping Mario Balotelli at bay.
Cesare Prandelli has indicated of shifting back to a 3-5-2 formation, which means that Balotelli will have the much needed support he lacked against Costa Rica. That is likely to come in the shape of new Borussia Dortmund signing Ciro Immobile, who was the highest scorer in the Serie A last year. Marco Veratti is set to replace Thiago Motta in midfield alongside the effervescent Andrea Pirlo in the regista role. Daniele de Rossi will miss this crunch encounter with a calf injury. At the back, it’s all Juventus with Leonardo Bonucci set to be handed his first appearance this World Cup alongside regulars Andrea Barzagli and Georgio Chiellini.

KEY PLAYERS
LUIS SUAREZ: A knee surgery five weeks back restricted Luis Suarez’s legs to the pedals of a wheelchair and questions were being asked whether the talismanic striker would be fit to play any part in Uruguay’s World Cup campaign. A stunning comeback against England dispelled such doubts and the Liverpool man is back, firing on all cylinders.
EDINSON CAVANI: The perfect foil for Suarez. Cavani looked out of sorts against Costa Rica, despite having the confidence to bury a penalty. Once his partner in crime returned, however, things were different for the Paris St. Germain man, bullying defenders and delivering perfect balls for Suarez, the most effective one being the chipped cross for the first goal.
MARIO BALOTELLI: If Super Mario is in the mood, then the Uruguayan defence will have a night to forget. Balotelli’s finishing prowess, which was absent in their last game, is Italy’s primary source of getting on the board. Having clinched the match against England with a clinical header, Cesare Prandelli would hope that his wrecker-in-chief is at it again in Natal.
ANDREA PIRLO: They say Andrea Pirlo is like wine, getting better every passing year. At the ripe old age of 35, there still remains no match in Italy for this maestro. The sense of security and control this man provides with the ball at his feet is so relieving for all Azzuri supporters. Pirlo’s ever calming influence is even more crucial in crunch matches such as this, where tempers tend to fly.

PREDICTION
High voltage matches like this are often decided by moments of brilliance or the gravest of mistakes. With a draw being a permissible result for the Italians, one may expect the Azzuri to shut up shop if they get a lead anytime. An Uruguayan lead could make things way more interesting.
Italy 1-1 Uruguay. The Azzuris advance on goal difference.