Marco Verratti insists Italy have to ‘think big’ in Euro 2020 ahead of the Austria clash, while he relishes playing with Jorginho and Manuel Locatelli.
The Round of 16 tie kicks off at Wembley on Saturday at 20.00 UK time, with the winners going on to face either Belgium or Portugal.
“The further forward we go, the more the pressure builds, but we need the right enthusiasm to keep playing our football, as it’s the only way to achieve something extraordinary,” Verratti told the official UEFA website.
“If you don’t set certain objectives, it becomes difficult to achieve them. Sometimes a tiny detail can make the difference in these games and we must try to give our all, to think big, then we’ll see what happens.”
The midfielder picked up a knee injury with Paris Saint-Germain and had been in real doubt to feature in the tournament at all, missing the first two games, but playing in the 1-0 win over Wales.
“It was an emotional game for me and I am happy to be back doing what I love the most, playing football, especially in a very important competition for us.
“I was always in contact with Roberto Mancini and I must thank him for waiting, allowing me to be here.”
During Verratti’s absence, Locatelli made a big impact, and Mancini must choose between them for the next game against Austria.
“Having so many options is certainly an advantage for everyone, so I am very happy that Locatelli is doing so well. We are a team who enjoy our football, we’re proving that on the pitch and can have our say.”
Jorginho seems to be unmovable in that three-man midfield, especially after winning the Champions League with Chelsea.
“Jorginho makes everything seem very simple and he’s indispensable for the way he plays, as we don’t have many with his characteristics. He makes the team tick and sets the tempo to get everyone giving their best.”
Italy are now unbeaten in 30 games, winning their last 10 on the bounce without conceding, and are emerging as one of the favourites at Euro 2020.
“I enjoyed watching Italy when I wasn’t playing, so that means all the Italians watching were equally entertained,” added Verratti.
“We play for each other and we all know what we need to do, so that is definitely an advantage for a national team that doesn’t get to work together very often. The good thing now is that we all see football the same way and it makes everything easier.”