Del Piero, destiny's child, has had a nightmare season, but will probably get the nod since his alter ego, Totti, is seen by a Zoff as little more than sulky, spoiled inconvenience. Both are gifted players, but both play with as much emotion as a ballpoint pen. It gets worse in midfield. Expectations are as low as they get for Germany and Italy, the traditional bluebloods of the European game. Which doesn't mean you should write them off.
Experience still counts for something and, over six matches, anything can happen.
Germany knows how to win games, the team is resilient and disciplined, few players can match Bierhoff's aerial threat on set pieces and, who knows, maybe this will be Deissler's breakout year. As for the azzurri, the defense is still, arguably the best in the world. The talent is there, it's just a question of whether it will rear its head. And if, like most Italians, you are superstitious, you will be well aware of the fact that the azzurri tend to overachieve when little is expected of them, when the odds seem stacked against them, when the media is crucifying them one by one. After all, that's what happened in 1982.