The defeat against England "could have been there" but tomorrow at 20.45, against Malta, in the second Euro 2024 qualifying match, Roberto Mancini's reigning champion Italy is already called for redemption.

On paper, the opponent is well within the Azzurri's reach, but the coach doesn't want any surprises starting from the second half of the match against England: «We have to win - he said in the press conference on the eve - but I don't feel pressure, absolutely. After so many games against England there could have been a defeat. We know Malta and we know a little how they play and the difficulties we will find».

Mancini wants a team that is "more precise and focused" than the one seen on the pitch in Naples : "I expect a difficult match, all of these matches are difficult and if you can't unblock them, some difficulty will emerge. In the end, there are three points , beyond the value of the team". The coach announces news in the eleven that he will take on the field and doesn't lean too much on the use or otherwise of the native Mateo Retegui, who scored in his debut against England: «We'll change several players due to fatigue, but we have to evaluate them both today and tomorrow, let's see how they are - he underlines -. Retegui from 1'? He deserves confirmation but he too needs to be assessed on a physical level: he came from Argentina, many things need to be assessed. We've been following him for a long time and perhaps we haven't seen each other badly since several Italian clubs also follow him. He had difficulties on Thursday evening but then he scored a difficult goal, he can improve a lot in the coming months».

The coach then replies to Mario Balotelli who in the morning, via social media, had launched a sort of message saying that "the strikers in Italy are there and they are in good shape, trust me". «I'm glad that there are – Mancini's answer -. I don't know what he's referring to, but I love Mario too much, I hope he's really fit ». Going back to tomorrow's match against Malta, Bryan Cristante is clear, we need a 100 percent performance: «Malta is an organized national team - underlines the blue midfielder in the press conference - tomorrow's match, like all matches, is difficult. We will have to take the field 100%, concentrate and play our game. Winning is a must in every game. We started with a defeat and we can no longer afford missteps. Pressure for tomorrow? In the national team there is always pressure, every false step pays off. We have to take the field to win, without ifs and buts. We want victory ».

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