Germany vs. Italy Euro 2012: What Azzurri Must Do to Pull off Stunning Upset

Italy has been pegged as the underdog in its matchup against Germany, but as we all know with underdogs, they still have a puncher's chance to make it to the final.

Although it is a long shot, the Italian side has the talent to pull off a shocker in the semifinals of the 2012 European Championships. For an upset to be in the realm of possibility, Cesare Prandelli must stress a few things to his team.

Here is what needs to be done.

Keep Possession Reasonably Close

No matter what Italy does, it is unlikely to be able to match Germany in terms of possession. Joachim Low's side is too careful and precise with passing and dribbling to get beaten in that department, but Italy must keep it close to have any type of chance.

Italy possessed the ball for the majority of its quarterfinal match against England, in which we saw one of the most lopsided discrepancies of the tournament. That was mostly because the Three Lions chose to hang back by their own net, but Italy deserves credit too.

The Azzurri registered 35 attempts—20 on target—in the quarterfinal matchup. That is impressive in its own right, but when you consider that England only had four shots on goal, the total is magnified.

If Italy can pepper Manuel Neuer half as much as it did Joe Hart, we'll see a close game.

Win the Midfield Battle

Germany has the best midfield in the world next to Spain, but Italy has world-class players in its middle third as well.

At the very least, Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi and whoever else Prandelli chooses to play need to match the performance of Mesut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira.

Schweinsteiger is dealing with an ankle injury, which will be detrimental to his ability to be the impact player that he is. Ozil will be the main problem for Italy in this one. He has consistently helped his side keep hold of the ball when it counts most and has notched three helpers in the competition.

If Pirlo can keep Ozil's playmaking down to a minimum and De Rossi can match a hobbled Schweinsteiger, Germany will have a more difficult time generating offense.

Take Attacking Chances

I'm looking at you, Mario Balotelli.

As usual, Balotelli has been an enigma in the 2012 European Championships. One match, he's scoring a highlight-reel goal and the next, he's doing his best disappearing act.

Balotelli is one of the most talented forwards that the Azzurri have, but it's hard to get by on talent alone. Super Mario needs to attack Philipp Lahm and company and maybe even create an opportunity to take a shot off a set piece.

If the midfield battle is at least relatively even, Italy will have its fair share of chances to find the back of the net. The German counterattack is formidable, but an underdog needs to take chances to get the upset win.

Manuel Neuer looked great in the first few games of the tournament, but was subpar against Greece. If Italy can help to continue his string of misfortune, it should be okay.