Preview: Italy vs. Croatia

Italy and Croatia meet on Sunday in their Euro 2016 qualifying clash with both teams entering the game holding 100% records so far in their campaigns.

Antonio Conte's side have been far from convincing in their last two matches, having narrowly defeated Malta and Azerbaijan by single goals in their encounters.

The Azzurri will be wary of a step up in class when they take on Croatia, and they will have to do that without several key players.

Andrea Pirlo has been ruled out of the match with a thigh injury, while Marco Verratti also sustained the same problem in training ahead of the match and will also be missing.

Riccardo Montolivo has still not returned from leg surgery, which leaves Conte short of options in midfield.

Reports suggest that the former Juventus could switch to a 3-5-2 system to push Matteo Darmian and Mattia De Sciglio into wing-back roles with a midfield trio comprising Antonio Candreva, Claudio Marchisio and Daniele De Rossi.

Southampton striker Graziano Pelle and Borussia Dortmund's Ciro Immobile are tipped to lead the line for the Azzurri in the clash at the San Siro.

Croatia boss Niko Kovac rested several of his starters in their friendly clash against Argentina during midweek as his side fell to a narrow defeat.

Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Mario Mandzukic and Dejan Lovren are all expected to return to the lineup to face Italy in their Group H encounter.

The two sides last met in their group stage clash in Euro 2012 when they drew 1-1 as Pirlo's first-half strike was cancelled out by Mandzukic.

Recent form

Italy: WWWWLL

Croatia: LWWWWL

Possible starting lineups

Italy Buffon, Ranocchia, Ogbonna, Chiellini, Darmian, Candreva, De Rossi, Marchisio, De Sciglio, Pelle, Immobile

Croatia: Subasic, Srna, Corluka, Lovren, Pranjic, Modric, Perisic, Rakitic, Kovacic, Mandzukic, Brozovic

Sports Mole says: 1-1