Euro 2012: Italy's Keys to Derailing Germany and Advancing to the Final

After 120 minutes of passing, pressing and not scoring in Kiev, Italy finally saw off England at the penalty spot to advance to the semifinals of Euro 2012.

Waiting on the other side of draw was Germany, whose players were probably sitting around, sipping pilsners and chuckling giddily as the Italians were made to play the extra half-hour.

With two days of extra rest and an enthralling choice of attacking talent, the Germans probably feel pretty confident heading into Thursday's semi-final.

But to rule the Italians out is a grave error (World Cup 2006, anyone?). Keeping in mind the following factors, the Italians have every right to think that they are destined for the final of Euro 2012.

1. Figure out Germany's Pressing Key

One noticeable part of Germany's strategy against Greece was their use of pressing. It wasn't so much that they did but when they decided to crank up the pressure.

Italy will need to know what the German cue is to press and look for ways to exploit loopholes in the design.

It could be as simple as waiting for the fullbacks to receive the ball or whenever Andrea Pirlo touches it, but if Italy knows when Germany wants to come defend, it has a better shot of finding the holes to create mismatches of their own.

2. Win the Possession Battle

Germany and Italy both dominated possession in their quarterfinal matchups. The squad that takes the lead in this category may well ultimately be the winner.

Holding the ball will be a bit more difficult for the Italians against Germany, who employ an aggressive pressing style.

Italy will need another Pirlo masterclass to keep the Germans guessing and help create the tempo that would be more suited to the Italians.

3. Weather the Early German Storm

With the amount of rest that the Germans had and the short turnaround for Italy, one would expect that Germany will look to come out with guns blazing in the first 20 minutes.

Ideally for the Germans, a vicious early onslaught could tire Italy mentally and physically to the point that the last 20 minutes would be a terrible slog.

Given the lack of attack from England, however, a strong start from the Italians might put the Germans on their heels.

Getting the late substitutions right will also be key for manager Cesare Prandelli, who must make sure the legs are fresh for the final minutes of the match.

4. Finish!

Mario Balotelli put in a workman-like performance against England, battling for possession, causing problems at the back and keeping his persona-non-grata in check.

The only thing Balotelli didn't do was score a goal in regular time, a fact that will have to change for the whole squad in this contest.

Greece did expose some concentration issues for the German defending duo of Mats Hummels and Holger Badstuber. Granted, the two had lawn seats for the match with Greece, but that's no excuse to get beat by Georgios Samars anywhere.

The Italians need to find a route to goal in this match because one can't help but think Germany, in the form they're in, will find a way to goal themselves.