Slovenia look to close gap on Italy

Cesare Prandelli will hope a return to his old stamping ground of the Stadio Artemio Franchi augurs well as Italy host Slovenia in UEFA EURO 2012 Group C.

• Prandelli coached host club ACF Fiorentina until taking the Italy job in the summer of 2010, and returned to Florence for his first home qualifier as national team boss, a 5-0 victory against the Faroe Islands on 7 September last year.

• Italy prevailed 1-0 when the sides met in Ljubljana on 25 March. Brazilian-born FC Internazionale Milano midfielder Thiago Motta drove the winner low past Samir Handanovič on his competitive Azzurri debut, while Slovenia's Zlatan Ljubijankič hit the crossbar in the second half.

• Italy's record in six games against their neighbours from the west reads W3 D1 L2 (W2 D0 L1 at home).

• The teams met for the first time in a pair of EURO '96 qualifiers. The first, in Maribor on 7 September 1994, ended in a 1-1 draw, while Fabrizio Ravanelli scored to give Italy a 1-0 win in the return fixture in Udine on 6 September 1995.

• All five meetings since their maiden encounter have been settled by a single goal.

• The countries last went head to head in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Boštjan Cesar, now an AC Chievo Verona player, scored a late winner as Slovenia won 1-0 in Celje, but Cristian Zaccardo levelled the scores with the only goal in Palermo on 8 October 2005.

• Italy top Group C with 16 points from their opening six fixtures, while Slovenia lie second, five points behind their opponents.