Leonardo Bonucci hopes Italy fans can add the World Cup to their ‘Champions of Europe’ chant, but first they need to qualify via North Macedonia.
The World Cup play-off semi-final with North Macedonia kicks off at 19.45 GMT.
You can follow the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
The winners go on to face either Portugal or Turkey in the play-off final on Tuesday evening.
“It’s really emotional to be here over an hour before the game, seeing this atmosphere,” Bonucci told RAI Sport.
“The XI who will start are just as good as the others, so that’s the important thing, we are a very united group.
“We have a precise objective in mind, which is to reach Tuesday’s final and book our place at the World Cup. I am recovering and I hope to be ready to play in that game.”
Bonucci will be in the stands this evening due to injury, but he is there to give advice to the younger players stepping into the starting XI, Alessandro Bastoni and Gianluca Mancini.
“As the coach said, we need enthusiasm and at the same time patience, because we cannot just pour forward and be caught on the counter. We need to be sharp in our passing and clinical in our finishing.
“I am sure we’ll see a great performance and a great result.”
The Palermo fans were singing ‘We are the Champions of Europe’ during the pitch inspection at the Stadio Barbera.
“We need to use this chant to fire us up and hopefully add a different finale to that chant come the end of 2022.”
Bunch of losers how the hell do you lose to north Macedonia . This is humiliation at its best
Well, this aged horribly…