Confederations Cup 2013: Full Preview of Game 2 of Semifinals

Italy and Spain meet in the 2013 Confederations Cup in what should be the more intriguing of two semifinals this week.

These two sides met twice at the 2012 European Championships, and both matches were very exciting to watch. Italy did a good job of disrupting Spain in the first matchup, earning a 1-1 draw. The second meeting was much more open, with Spain thrashing Italy 4-0.

Although it's just the Confederations Cup, this should be a thrilling match featuring two of the best teams in the world.

Here's a quick preview for the second semifinal.

When: Thursday, June 27, at 3 p.m.

Where: Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, Brazil

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN3

Italy Player to Watch: Alberto Gilardino

FIFA reported Mario Balotelli will be out for the remainder of the tournament.

That leaves Alberto Gilardino as the only natural striker left on Cesare Prandelli's side. He could opt for Sebastian Giovinco, but Gilardino is likely to get the call.

Although he can't compare to Balotelli, Gilardino does offer a solid option against Spain. He scored 13 goals in 36 Serie A appearances for Bologna last season.

You can't win if you don't score goals, so it will be interesting to see how Gilardino would handle the starting duties. He's got a solid supporting cast, but there will be plenty of times when it's going to be up to Gilardino to change the game.

Spain Player to Watch: Fernando Torres

Laugh at Fernando Torres all you want. He's on the precipice of picking up yet another trophy. He's got a World Cup medal and two European Championship medals with Spain, while winning the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League with Chelsea.

That's not a bad haul for a player so many fans now see as a joke.

Torres has scored five goals in this tournament, but four came against Tahiti, so that number is a tad inflated.

When he's been on the pitch, though, Torres has made an impact. Vicente del Bosque has opted to start Roberto Soldado twice already. Torres should get the nod, though, given what he's been able to do.

Prediction

Unlike the 2012 Euro final, Prandelli is going to play much more defensively. Especially without Balotelli, he can't afford to play an open game and let Spain tee off on him. The Italians will look to play defensively and break on the counter.

It's the best strategy to use, but it still won't be enough.

Spain have been tremendous in this tournament so far. They have shown very few weaknesses and look even better than they did at the 2012 Euro.

La Roja will control possession and force the Azzurri to run all over the pitch. If Spain get an early goal, this one will be over. There's no chance Italy can chase a game against Spain if they're down a goal.

More likely, Spain will be the aggressors but have few good chances on goal early on. Italy will be hurt by missing Balotelli. Spain will prevail in the end with a goal around the 65th minute, when Italy start to tire out.

From there, the match will open up a little bit. Spain will add another, with Italy getting a consolation goal late.

Spain 2, Italy 1