Spain vs Italy: Bold Predictions for Powerhouse Showdown

With UEFA Euro 2012 play set to begin this Friday, all eyes will be on the battle between the last two World Cup champions, Spain and Italy.

FIFA’s No.1 ranked Spain will battle Italy for the first time since a 2-1 Italy win in a friendly match in August of 2011.

Going into the match, Spain is 5-0 in its last five matches while Italy is a pedestrian 2-3. Which Italy team decides to show up on Monday could be pivotal down the line.

Here are some bold predictions for this classic showdown.

Mario Balotelli will show up poised and ready to perform

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has often been criticized for his off-field antics and questionable maturity.

When he is on, Super Mario is among the elite attackers in the world, but when he lets his head get in the way, he is known to put up duds.

The mercurial star has all the physical gifts, but questions about his maturity will play out on one of soccer’s biggest stages.

Balotelli is coming off a career year as well, scoring 13 goals in 23 Premier League games this season.

There is no doubting the young gun’s capacity for greatness. Having won the 2010 Golden Boy Award as the top under-21 player in all of Europe, will he be fazed by a game against soccer’s gold standard in Spain?

No.

Balotelli will come out early and assert himself against Spain’s dominant defenders Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique.

Manager Cesare Prandelli’s clever passing scheme will have Italy playing to its strengths early, as Azzurri playmaker Andrea Pirlo demonstrates greatness in the middle of the field.

Although Spain is known to dominate possession, Italy did finish second in possession count during Euro 2012 qualifiers.

A suspect defense will not have to turn it on immediately, as Italy will score first, shocking its opponent.

Spain will come out slow and lethargic

Having won the last UEFA Euro tournament and the 2010 World Cup, Spain could come out complacent to start this match.

A team that coasted through qualifiers could easily underestimate its opponent, especially one as hungry as Italy.

There is no denying that Spain has the best personnel in the world and is the clear favorite to win this tournament.

However, an early hole could have Spain stumbling at the start.

Their three-headed monster will need to be stellar as Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso and Xavi Hernandez should dominate the middle of the field, despite Pirlo’s deft play.

Spain is also playing against the odds: No international team has won three major championships in a row.

Without potent striker David Villa and back-line anchor Carles Puyol, Spain could be out of sync early.

Spain might take too much time getting a feel for its opponent while Italy will be in attack mode. For these reasons, it would not be too surprising if Italy was to go up 1-0 early on La Furia Roja.

Despite trailing early, Spain will regain its composure and return to the champions of old

Much has been made of Spaniard Fernando Torres’s recent slump, but he did prove his worth down the stretch for Chelsea.

Spain expects Torres to step up and be a capable replacement for the injured David Villa. Clearly, Torres has the physical prowess to be able to do so, and in Spain’s tiki-taka game he will be integral to their success.

With complacency as arguably Spain’s biggest weakness, going down early could be a blessing in disguise for La Furia Roja.

A 1-0 deficit will be the necessary wake-up call to get Spain back to its winning ways.

Led by goalkeeper Iker Casillas, Spain’s defense will rise to the challenge and keep the ball out of the possession of Italy’s feisty attackers.

Look for Spain to wear down Italy by the second half with methodical tiki-taka tactics. Spain's smooth offense will have Italy gasping for air when it matters most.

La Furia Roja's attacking triumvirate of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and David Silva will play with such synergy that Spain will simply overwhelm the Azzurri down the stretch.

Expect a valiant effort from Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, but Spain's firepower will be too much.

Prediction: Spain wins 2-1, overcoming an early 1-0 deficit and taking over in the second half.