Italian soccer may be known for Catenaccio -- or "shutting up shop" defence -- but the national side have no intention of just sitting back and waiting for Spain to attack in their Euro 2016 clash on Monday. The Azzurri have not beaten Spain in a competitive game since 1994 and suffered an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Vicente Del Bosque's side in the Euro 2012 final. But the Italians showed in the group games that they are a very compact side. Spain are likely to find it hard to unsettle them at the Stade de France. "When we will have the ball we will try to hurt them," Italy coach Antonio Conte told a news conference on Sunday. "I heard a lot about the defence and we are wary of all of them but I'm saying 'Okay, let's also make Spain wary of us. "We are well organised in defence but we also have that organisation going forward. We will try to attack as well as we can." Spain breezed through their first two group games against the Czech Republic and Turkey before losing 2-1 to Croatia -- a defeat that makes them even more dangerous, according to Conte. "Defeat always gives you more in terms of focus and anger," he said. "I would have preferred they'd come into the match with a winning streak." Spain will once again count on Alvaro Morata, a player Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon knows well, having giving the forward advice when he was at Juventus. "He is still a young man, he is not aware of how good he is," said the Italy keeper, who helped Morata for two seasons from 2014. "Like all young players when they go through tough times, they tend to look for excuses and feel sorry for themselves. But he is a young intelligent man who listens, who is willing to take a step back and look at himself." Buffon, 38, hopes he will be playing two more years for Italy. "When you play at this level, it's no longer you deciding whether you continue or not, it's your performances on the pitch and the decisions made by the head coach and club managers," he said. "The idea in my mind is to continue for two more years." (For more sportsnews andupdates, followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebookatAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/231915.aspx
