Azzurri and Ukraine want win to stay put

Italy and Ukraine may be going into their UEFA European Futsal Championship Group B decider on Saturday already assured of quarter-final berths, but there is plenty to play for.

First-place race
Both sides opened their campaigns by defeating Belgium, Italy's 4-0 victory on Tuesday outdoing Ukraine's 4-2 triumph two days later. That means that the Azzurri need only a point to top the group and stay in Debrecen for a quarter-final against the Czech Republic or Hungary on Monday, while the runners-up must travel to Budapest to take on impressive Group A winners Azerbaijan.

Staying put
Azzurri coach Roberto Menichelli, for whom Vinicius Bácaro has shaken off his knee problem, told uefa.com: "To finish first in the group is definitely important. By winning we could perhaps have an easier game, moreover if we finish second we would have to transfer to Budapest and that would be a further difficulty, because it unsettles things a little."

Upper hand
These two traditional futsal forces have met many times but Italy currently hold the upper hand with five straight wins – the first of those their 1-0 defeat of Ukraine in the 2003 final on home soil, when Menichelli was assistant coach. "Historically Ukraine are a very physically strong team, but also with technical qualities," he said. "They are strong and dangerous, have done well in the past and they were our opponents in the final in Caserta in 2003. It is a top-level game."

Trailing
Ukraine coach Gennadiy Lysenchuk adopted a positive approach on Thursday in an attempt to overtake Italy on goal difference, employing a flying goalkeeper with the score at 4-1 only to concede at the death. "We wanted to beat Belgium by more than Italy did," he said. "We needed to score the fifth goal, but two mistakes at the end meant we didn't. The chance of being able to play for a draw against Italy would have been great, but now we have to prepare ourselves for a win."

Italian strength
Lysenchuk, able to call on Mykhaylo Romanov following suspension, knows that will not be easy. "We watched the game between Belgium and Italy, and we saw that Italy were strong, but we will try our best," he said, before adding of their first result: "I'm sure a lot of people watched this game in Ukraine and were pleased with our win. It is a difficult time in Ukraine right now and I hope with this win we can help in our own way."