Italy won the World Cup in Germany in 2006 under terribly trying conditions. The Calciopoli scandal had just broken out and the entire nation fell into depression. Expectations were low going into the competition and coach Marcello Lippi had a gargantuan task on his hands.

However, Calciopoli brought the squad together and made them stronger as a collective unit. Italy progressed from the group stage quite comfortably and eliminated Australia, Ukraine and Germany in the knockouts. The Azzurri then defeated France on penalties in the final to win the World Cup for the fourth time in their history.

Lippi stepped down after the World Cup conquest but took over again after the Euro 2008 failure. The Azzurri finished top of their group in the qualifiers but the 62-year-old has been heavily criricised for not taking on board the likes of Antonio Cassano and Fabrizio Miccoli for a variety of reasons. Like in 2006, expectations are once again low for the Italians ahead of the showpiece event in South Africa.

Now, we ask a hypothetical question: who would win if Italy 2006 and Italy 2010 played one another?

Please note that some like Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro remain first-choice regulars in both the teams, so we compared their current form with their 2006 form. This has been the main criteria to compare the others players too.



Gianluigi Buffon v Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon in 2006 was the best goalkeeper in the world. He had just come off another Scudetto-winning season with Juventus (which would later be revoked) and indeed in Germany, the Carrara-born was at his peak.

Buffon of 2010 remains a world class shot-stopper but there is something missing in him. Football observers would have noticed a certain degree of uneasiness and uncertainty about the Italian.

1-0

Gianluca Zambrotta v Christian Maggio

Zambrotta will forever be remembered as a legendary full-back both at club level and in the international arena. The former Juventus and Barcelona defender's assurance and ability to get forward made him a 'complete' and balanced terzino.

Christian Maggio made his debut for Italy in 2008, but has just three caps and is not even a natural right back. Although he earned his spot in the final 23-man squad, he is no match for Zambrotta.

2-0

Fabio Cannavaro v Fabio Cannavaro

Cannavaro's performances in the World Cup finals in 2006 earned him both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year. Cannavaro is one of the finest ever centre-backs and in 2006 he was the best in the world.

Cannavaro of 2010 is 36 and has failed to perform for the past two or three seasons. Il Capitano goes to the 2010 World Cup finals as a threat - to his own goal.

3-0

Marco Materrazzi v Giorgio Chiellini 

Marco Materazzi had a brilliant World Cup in 2006 but he doesn't have the talent or quality to be reckoned as one of the finest Italian defenders. Indeed his performances in Germany came as a surprise.

Chiellini was arguably the best player in the Juventus backline in 2009-2010 and is one of the best centre-backs in the world at the moment, a rock at the heart of Italy's defence.

3-1



Fabio Grosso v Gianluca Zambrotta

Grosso was a real hero at the World Cup finals in 2006, scoring the winning penalty against France in the final. A late bloomer, the 32-year-old was arguably at his peak four years ago.

Zambrotta has lost his pace and class that he had four years back, and like fellow 2006 legend Cannavaro there are concerns over him going into the tournament.

4-1

Gennaro Gattuso v Daniele De Rossi

Gattuso in 2006 was at the peak of his powers for the national team as he patrolled the midfield tirelessly. Ringhio was the quantity to Pirlo's quality as the Milan pair formed the best centre midfield at the finals.

De Rossi is not as 'overly active' as Gattuso but is more creative and has more quality than the Milan midfielder. He had a great 2009-2010 and brings a more confident and intelligent attitude onto the pitch, but perhaps doesn't strike as much danger into the opponents' hearts as Gattuso did back in 2006.

5-2

Andrea Pirlo v Andrea Pirlo

Pirlo of 2006 was one of the best, if not the best, deep-lying playmaker on the planet. His calm and composed demeanor, vision and set-piece abilities made him a 'complete' midfielder.

Pirlo of 2010 is a shadow of his old self and although he still retains his passing and freekick skills, his loss of whatever pace he had and ability to generate original ideas have made him an old horse.

6-2

Simone Perrotta v Claudio Marchisio

Perrotta bloomed in Germany in 2006 and his performances with the Azzurri as a support player in the midfield shouldn't be undermined. However, he was mainly that: a support player.

Marchisio is one of the very few Juventus players who had an encouraging time in a Bianconeri shirt in 2009-2010. A midfielder who has the vision and ability to create from the middle of the park, Marchisio can also track back and defend.

6-3



Mauro Camoranesi v Mauro Camonaresi

Camoranesi was a vital player for Italy at the 2006 World Cup finals and played a very important role in the midfield for the Azzurri with his runs and bursts of pace.

Camonaresi is not the player he was back in 2006 and has also struggled with injuries. The Argentina-born is actually carrying a knock going into the World Cup.

7-3

Francesco Totti v Antonio Di Natale

No comparison needed: Totti wins, hands down. The Roma legend couldn't exactly repeat his flamboyant and awe-inspiring performance of Euro 2000 in Germany 2006, but he was an effective player and finished top of the assists charts.

Di Natale is coming off his best ever season as he struck 29 goals in Serie A in 2009-2010 but at 32 and playing for Udinese, the Italian striker is not the genius that Totti is. Moreover, Di Natale was disappointing in Euro 2008 and his international calibre remains doubtful.

8-3

Luca Toni v Alberto Gilardino

The giant Italian striker scored twice against Ukraine in Germany 2006 and also hit the bar against France. Luca Toni was a late bloomer too but was the perfect 'Route 1' strike for Italy.

Gilardino is perhaps more 'complete' than Luca Toni but he has to fully convince at international level. He will get his chance at South Africa 2010.

9-4

Final Result: Italy 2006 9-4 Italy 2010


Substitutes & Coach

In the goalkeeping department, Marco Amelia and Angelo Peruzzi could perhaps be said to be on par with Federico Marchetti and Morgan De Sanctis. Domenico Criscito, Salvatore Bocchetti and Leonardo Bonucci are less experienced at international level than Massimo Oddo and Alessandro Nesta but potentially better than Cristian Zaccardo and Andrea Barzagli.

In the midfield, the two groups appear to be on par on the bench but in attack the Italian team of 2006 wins as they have the likes of Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi while Italy of 2010 will have the modest Fabio Quagliarella and Vincenzo Iaquinta.

As for the coach, in 2006 there were few worries over Lippi whose squad selection was generally applauded and who had been praised for the excellent friendly wins over the Netherlands and Germany. In 2010, the 62-year-old Lippi has been blasted in the press for his decision to leave at home the likes of Antonio Cassano and Fabrizio Miccoli, and instead select a group of less skilful and older players.