England vs. Italy: Missed Opportunities Will Doom Italians vs. Germany

Italy has built up a nasty habit of wasting chances, and if their incompetence in front of the goal continues on Thursday, Germany will embarrass them in the semifinals of Euro 2012.

The Italian side features some of the best goalscorers the world has to offer, but they've been shockingly unproductive lately.

In their last two games against Ireland and England, they've played just over 210 minutes of football, controlling more than 60 percent of the possession and firing 62 shots toward the net.

And yet, despite their complete and utter dominance in almost every aspect of the game, they've got just two goals to show for their efforts. If not for Mario Balotelli's ridiculous half-bicycle in the 90th minute against Ireland, their scoresheet would look even more meager.

Of course, the Azzurri have emerged with two wins, so sadness certainly shouldn't be the mood inside their locker room. They've advanced to the semifinals of a major tournament, and after their debacle at the World Cup two years ago, their wasteful nature shouldn't diminish their accomplishments.

That being said, if the Italians don't snap out of this scoring funk immediately, they will be dispatched by the Germans in humiliating fashion.

Germany is not Ireland or England.

They are a team of cold and calculated assassins, a no-nonsense group that goes about their business in a beautifully ruthless fashion. They have no glaring holes in their starting 11, and they are one of the few teams in the world that can keep Italy on their back foot for almost the entire game.

Mesut Ozil orchestrates Germany's fluid and creative attack, which is constantly moving forward. You can expect them to live in the attacking third on Thursday, and since they have more speed than the Italians, they will inevitably create more chances.

The Italians won't have the luxury of dominating possession and making runs toward the goal whenever they please. Quality looks at the net will be few and far between, and if they don't produce at a more efficient rate, they will be beaten handily.