5 Things to Watch out for in Italy vs. Croatia European Qualifier

Italy vs. Croatia should be an enthralling Group H encounter in the Euro 2016 qualification process which pits the best two nations from the group in a head-to-head battle.

There's little doubt that these teams will finish as the top two sides, but the order isn't certain. Italy will have a packed Giuseppe Meazza in Milan to act as the 12th man.

Croatia will be going to northern Italy with plenty of technique and it's a match that has the recipe for a very cagey encounter.

Here are five things to watch out for in this pivotal Euro 2016 qualification clash between Italy and Croatia:

Antonio Conte's 3-5-2 formation is noted for its constant high pressure and very direct approach, often requiring the strikers to help out and press the defense when they're not in possession.

The new-look attack used against Malta led to Graziano Pelle scoring on his debut with the senior side, and he could get a second straight start against Croatia.

Pelle should have support from a more mobile striker, as he often acts as the target man who can hold up the play with his shoulders to the back of the defense, allowing the wingers and midfielders to get forward on the break.

Against Malta, Conte placed Lazio winger Antonio Candreva in a right wing-back position, which gave him more defensive responsibility than he's used to seeing with the Biancocelesti in the capital city.

The three-man back line will have the task of also keeping a lid on Mario Mandzukic, who's a classic poacher that can find the open streams and fight hard in the air.

Luka Modric, along with a few other star teammates, were rested in the midweek friendly against Argentina to prepare for the match on Sunday against Italy.

Modric will undoubtedly be the focal point of the midfield for Nico Kovac's men, who often look to the Real Madrid starlet to kick-start the attack and find the perfect surging through ball to a teammate in space.

Antonio Conte likes to overload the midfield in his 3-5-2 to limit the opposition's possession, so it'll be a very interesting tactical battle. Without Andrea Pirlo in the lineup due to injury, Conte will go with three athletic center midfielders to try to quell the likes of Modric.

Expect Daniele De Rossi and Claudio Marchisio as must-start options, who'll have the task of tracking Modric and not giving him much space to operate.

Also, preventing Modric from entering the channels is key, as the Croatian midfielder isn't shy about joining the attack.

Apart from Luka Modric, Italy also have the unenviable task of stopping two other creative midfielders in the form of Ivan Rakitic and Mateo Kovacic.

Balotelli makes his return to the Azzurri after being left out in the previous few matches under new coach Antonio Conte.

Conte likes strikers who work hard on the defensive end, so on paper the inclusion of Balotelli is one that seems a bit iffy to start. First of all, there are plenty of attacking options who are in better form than Super Mario, so it'll be interesting to see if he even gets any minutes against Croatia.

There's no questioning Balotelli's talent, but his inconsistency can drive a coach or a fan mad, and he tends to drift out of matches far too often.

Perhaps he could be an interesting prospect alongside a big target man like Graziano Pelle. His attributes point towards a player who shouldn't be leading the line like he has in previous seasons. Balotelli isn't strong in the air, and excels from outside the box where he has a powerful shot and underrated creative ability.

Update: The Italian FA have since released a statement that Balotelli is out of the game against Croatia, so this debate will now have to be delayed until at least the next international period.

While some might argue that Andrea Pirlo is irreplaceable, Antonio Conte will have the task of filling the void in the midfield as the legendary deep-lying playmaker won't be able to play against Croatia due to injury problems which have continually plagued him this season.

While Marco Verratti is the most like-for-like replacement for Pirlo, he hasn't been called up so the creative duties in the midfield might be lacking.

Expect De Rossi to operate right in front of the defensive line, like he does for Roma. He will pick out the long passes, while the likes of Marchisio play the more simple, short passes and look to make runs into the opposition's box.

Interestingly enough, Pirlo was a mainstay at Juventus under Antonio Conte, and he was his most important cog in the side that won three consecutive Scudetti and went on the near-historic 49-match undefeated streak.

Antonio Conte's side have been far from convincing in their recent matches against both Malta and Azerbaijan.

The Azzurri only managed a measly 1-0 win at Malta and then had a scare against Azerbaijan in their 2-1 win. While the three points are all that matter, you still expect a much better performance by a side with such a considerable talent advantage. 

Historically, Italy has always seemed to have a complex against smaller nations, never really blowing them out of the water and keeping the matches far too close.

Both of those matches saw Italy start off in sluggish fashion, never really looking fluid in the final third. The build up needed more work and there's no doubt that Conte is working on the problems.

The side is still an experimental one, with plenty of new faces being called up by the coach in search of a more steady starting XI going into Euro 2016.