Predicting Italy's Euro 2016 Starting XI

Antonio Conte has enjoyed an excellent start to life in charge of Italy, winning each of his first four games in charge. Having conceded just a single goal in that time, the former Juventus coach has quickly turned around an Azzurri side that collapsed so badly at the World Cup.

With the struggles seen under Cesare Prandelli already behind them and the team in a comfortable position to qualify for Euro 2016, attention turns to the future. The Azzurri still rely upon a number of aging veterans, with players such as Gigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo remaining key to their hopes of success.

Italy can reasonably expect to reach the finals of the tournament, and predicting how the team will line up in 2016 provides a glimpse into the thinking of the new coach. Over the following pages is a look at a projected Azzurri starting XI when the competition in France begins.

While it may be easy to say, it is difficult to see anyone other than Gigi Buffon lining up between the posts for Italy at Euro 2016. The current captain of both club and country, the 36-year-old is expected to extend his Juventus contract beyond the tournament, with his current deal expiring in June next year.

“We are talking about it and soon everything will be defined,” Buffon responded when asked about the situation by reporters recently, per Football Italia. While the case for both Mattia Perin and Salvatore Sirigu can be reasonably argued, looking beyond the man who holds Italy’s appearance record seems foolhardy.

Conte has continued to use the 3-5-2 formation that brought him such incredible success at Juventus and is likely to persist with it in France. That means we can reasonably expect to see a back three from the Azzurri, with a Bianconeri influence heavily apparent.

Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini understand the system perfectly and bring the ideal attributes to their respective positions. The former possesses the organisational and distribution skills so vital to the central role, while the latter remains his nation’s best man marker.

The third position is most difficult to assess, with Andrea Ranocchia facing competition from Empoli’s Daniele Rugani on the right-hand side. The experience of the Inter captain is likely to win out, although Conte will hope the youngster forces him to raise his game to retain the starting slot.

Vital to Conte’s system, the wing-back berths are difficult for Italy, with former regulars Federico Balzaretti and Christian Maggio no longer part of the side. That has left room for a number of younger players, with two Milan youth products seizing upon the opportunity that has created.

Mattia De Sciglio has shone despite the Rossoneri struggling. The 22-year-old has established himself as one of very few bright spots at San Siro. Solid defensively and a neat contributor to his side’s attacking play, he has the ability to play on either flank.

Also able to swap sides, Matteo Darmian has proved Milan’s decision to sell him incorrect and has blossomed into a superb player for Torino. His ability was analysed in detail here, and the duo should hold down the starting roles for some time to come.

Ahead of the defence, Italy must surely be beginning to prepare for life after Andrea Pirlo. The Juventus star has certainly started to show signs of aging this term, with injuries limiting him to just six appearances for the Bianconeri so far.

Fortunately for the Azzurri, Marco Verratti continues to develop into a ready-made replacement for the 35-year-old legend. However, concerns remain over his temperament—Verratti has already received five yellow cards in 11 Ligue 1 matches in 2014-15.

Yet stats site WhoScored.com shows that only Xabi Alonso and Roma's Daniele De Rossi make more passes per game than Verratti (97.3) across Europe’s top five leagues. He has also weighed in with four assists for Paris Saint-Germain and can surely hope to have secured a starting role under Conte by Euro 2016.

Completing Italy’s trio of midfielders at the tournament should be De Rossi and Claudio Marchisio of Juventus. Pushing them hard will be Alessandro Florenzi, another Giallorossi star steadily becoming a hugely promising talent in the capital.

With Mario Balotelli remaining on the sidelines since Conte replaced Prandelli, a number of Italy strikers have ensured their places in the side. Ciro Immobile has thrived in Germany, with his Champions League and Bundesliga experience surely helping the former Torino star improve further still.

With his partner has already having moved to a big club, the same cannot be too far away for Sassuolo’s Simone Zaza. The 23-year-old is quickly becoming a fearsome striker who is able to lead the line and finish the chances which come his way, reminding observers of a young Christian Vieri.

Mattia Destro has been impressive under Rudi Garcia at Roma, netting four goals in limited minutes this term, and his role should increase in the coming seasons. Balotelli remains a wild card, while Domenico Berardi provides an alternative, should Conte wish to adopt a trident attack in the future.

Expected Italy starting XI at Euro 2016 (3-5-2): Buffon; Ranocchia, Bonucci, Chiellini; Darmian, Marchisio, De Rossi, Verratti, De Sciglio; Immobile, Zaza