EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS - 2014/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS - Thursday 3 September 2015 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Italy Group H - Matchday 7 Last updated 02/09/2015 06:14CET

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Match background 2 Legend 3

1 Italy - Malta Thursday 3 September 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence

Match background

Italy will be eager to keep up the pressure on Group H leaders Croatia as they play host to their Mediterranean neighbours Malta in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying. Previous meetings • Italy won 1-0 in Malta in the sides' first Group H meeting on 13 October – Graziano Pellè (24) scoring the winner on his debut. It was a noble defeat for Malta, given that their captain Michael Mifsud was dismissed on 28 minutes, though Leonardo Bonucci's 73rd-minute red card eventually evened up the numbers. • Italy have won all seven of their matches against Malta, with an aggregate score of 20-2. • The nations also met in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Italy prevailing 2-0 home and away. • Malta have not scored against Italy in three meetings since a penalty 68 minutes into a 6-1 World Cup qualifying defeat in March 1993. Disciplinary • Matteo Darmian and Ciro Immobile are both a yellow card away from a one-game ban. • Malta's , and are all a booking away from a suspension. Form guide • Italy won their first three Group H games, but have drawn the last three: 1-1, 2-2 and 1-1 in Croatia in their last fixture. • Italy are unbeaten in 46 qualifying games (W33 D13) since a 3-1 defeat in France on 6 December 2006. • Malta's only Group H goal so far was a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Bulgaria in Sofia. They have lost their other five fixtures in the section without scoring. • Malta are without a win in ten competitive fixtures (D1 L9) since a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory in Armenia on 7 June 2013. Trivia and links • Malta's Italian coach Pietro Ghedin is in his second spell in charge on the island. The one-time SS Lazio defender led Malta from 1993 to 1995, and was then assistant coach of Italy (1996–2004, working under , and ) and coach of the Italian national women's team (2005–12) before returning to Malta in 2012. • Italy coach Antonio Conte played for the Azzurri during Ghedin's time on the staff. • Malta's 21 encounters with Italian sides in UEFA age-group competitions have all been won by Italy. • Eight UEFA club competition meetings between Maltese and Italian clubs have produced eight Italian wins – and an aggregate score of 33-2. • Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon became the first player to make 50 UEFA European Championship appearances when he started the 1-1 draw against Croatia in June.

2 Italy - Malta Thursday 3 September 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence Legend

:: Previous meetings

Goals for/against: Goal totals include the outcome of disciplinary decisions (e.g. match forfeits when a 3-0 result is determined). Goals totals do not include goals scored during a penalty shoot-out after a tie ended in a draw

:: Squad list

Qual.: Total European Qualifiers appearances/goals for UEFA EURO 2016 only. FT: Total UEFA EURO 2016 appearances/goals in final tournament only. Overall: Total international appearances/goals. DoB: Date of birth Age: Based on the date press kit was last updated D: Disciplinary (*: misses next match if booked, S: suspended)

:: Team facts

EURO finals: The UEFA European Championship was a four-team event in 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 (when the preliminary round and quarter-finals were considered part of qualifying).

From 1980 it was expanded to an eight-team finals and remained in that format in 1984, 1988 and 1992 until 1996, when the 16-team format was adopted. UEFA EURO 2016 is the first tournament to be played as a 24-team finals.

Records of inactive countries A number of UEFA associations have been affected by dissolution or splits of member associations. For statistical purposes, the records of these inactive countries have been allocated elsewhere: therefore, all Soviet Union matches are awarded to Russia; all West Germany – but not East Germany – matches are awarded to Germany; all Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro matches are awarded to Serbia; all Czechoslovakia matches are allocated to both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Abandoned/forfeited matches For statisical purposes, when a match has been started and then abandoned but later forfeited, the result on the pitch at the time of abandonment is counted. Matches that never started and were either cancelled or forfeited are not included in the overall statistics. Competitions Other abbreviations (aet): After extra time pens: Penalties No.: Number og: Own goal ag: Match decided on away goals P: Penalty agg: Aggregate Pld: Matches played AP: Appearances Pos.: Position Comp.: Competition Pts: Points D: Drawn R: Sent off (straight red card) DoB: Date of birth Res.: Result ET: Extra Time sg: Match decided by silver goal GA: Goals against t: Match decided by toss of a coin GF: Goals for W: Won gg: Match decided by golden goal Y: Booked L: Lost Y/R: Sent off (two yellow cards) Nat.: Nationality N/A: Not applicable Disclaimer: Although UEFA has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within this document is accurate at the time of publication, no representation or guarantee (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Therefore, UEFA assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein. More information can be found in the competition regulations available on UEFA.com.

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