Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon is hopeful that a win against the Republic of Ireland will be enough for his team to progress to the quarter-finals of the European Championship.
The Azzurri have drawn their opening two games against Spain and Croatia and are two points adrift of both sides heading into their last Group C clash with the Irish, who have no chance of progressing after back-to-back defeats. Croatia’s second-half equaliser against the Italians on Thursday means Cesare Prandelli’s team no longer control their own destiny.
Italy skipper Gianluigi Buffon
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If the match between Spain and Croatia finishes in a draw in which a total of at least four goals are scored in the game, a win on Monday for the Azzurri would not be enough to see them through to the last eight. “Against Croatia, the performance was there and so was our will to win,” Buffon said to Gazzetta dello Sport.
“In the first half we could have done better considering the chances we had to score, but we also have to take into account that we faced a strong side. “We are disappointed with the draw. We played very well in defence despite conceding a goal. We paid the price for one of the few chances they created. “We need to be more cynical. In games that are level, such as this one, we cannot give anything away.“It depends on us and I am confident that a win against Ireland will be enough to progress.”u00a0
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