The big day has finally arrived.

Malta today host European football giants and neighbours Italy at Ta' Qali National stadium in a Eu- ropean 2016 qualifier from Group H in what has been the fixture the MFA, technical staff, players and Maltese sporting public has been looking forward to when the draws were made last year.

With the inept performance and heavy 3-0 home defeat against Norway of three days ago, already forgotten, the Malta players look all motivated to perform at their best against household names such as those of Buffon, Chiellini, Pirlo, Ranocchia, Marchisio or Immobile when the spotlight is bigger and there is more at stake.

Today's match brings nostalgia to many of the players in the present Malta squad, who played Italy at Ta'Qali on 26 March last year in a World Cup qualifier and lost to two Mario Balotelli goals, after losing by the same score in Modena. One of those is captain Michael Mifsud who admitted that playing against Italy last time round was quite enjoyable. For the records, Mifsud missed a penalty and had his effort hitting the post in that match.

"It's an experience one cannot forget easily" he said yesterday when addressing the media. "We are all very excited and have been concentrating fully on this match, while putting the Norway upset behind us." Asked by this newspaper to make a commitment to the Maltese football enthusiasts who will follow today's match, Michael Mifsud, on behalf of the Malta national team said that the squad is very much upbeat.

"We promise more concentration at 100 per cent. A better performance than the one against Norway, is in the offing. Italy are a great squad, but I am optimistic that we can even obtain a better result than against the Norwegians," replied the Malta captain and Sliema Wanderers forward.

But nobody knows Italian football better than central defender Andrei Agius. "It is a great motivation playing against Italy after having played myself for 11 years in the country in Lega Pro." Agius, who is this year playing for Hibernians in the Premier League, said yesterday. Andrei Agius was in the Malta team for the Modena match against Italy but then missed the home match. "So I am looking forward to play against Italians in front of our home crowd".

Agius is aware that Italy will present a different formation than Norway, who are most potent with their wide players on the flanks, while Italy play with 3-5-2 and therefore our three-man back- line must stay composed to give Italy's two forwards, most probably Immobile and Zaza, little space. For some youngsters though, like Birkirkara's defender Zach Muscat, this is too big an occasion. If he plays against Italy today, it will only be Muscat's third appearance for the senior national team. Against Norway, Zach Muscat, like the rest of the Malta defence, did not give a good performance.

"We have made analysis of our last game. We are aware that we made mistakes but there were also positives." he said. "Today's match exposure against Italy is bigger and carries more pressure. I am looking forward to a better performance. All players are eager to perform well."

Muscat also revealed that some clubs in Lega Pro and Serie B have been showing interest in his services. Although acknowledging that it is nice to play in Italy, at the moment he is concentrating on giving 100 per cent for club and country. Facing his native country once again, Malta's national coach Pietro Ghedin, in a very short address to the Maltese and Italian media at the MFA technical centre, yesterday said that it is his duty to help his players recover from the Norway upset.

"We have been working hard on the psychological aspect because we have been criticised. And that hurts mentally" said Ghedin. "We always work to do well and not bad. We perform badly because opponents are superior and in better form. You cannot always give your best. For me the Maltese players gave a lot against Norway. Pity that this match comes on the background of a very poor match but we hope we will do well tomorrow because all the players are highly motivated."

It is wise to remember that Malta's match against Italy in March last year also followed a debacle against Bulgaria (after a 6-0 defeat) but the players reacted strongly and gave a satisfactory performance, backed by a full house at Ta' Qali. It may well be a case of deja vue tonight!

Italy start as favourites

Our opponents, Italy, who arrived in Malta yesterday evening and had a light trianing session at Ta' Qali, have won both their qualifying matches played  so far, against Norway (2-0) and Azerbaijan and top the Group, with six points, together with Croatia.

The Italians have still to convince though and following their World Cup upset in Brazil, they have replaced coach Prandelli with Antonio Conte. They are eager to qualify for the Euro 2016 finals in France with flying colours and that makes it more difficult for the Maltese. Asked by an Italian journalist to pass judgement on Conte, whom Ghedin coached when he was assistant to Dino Zoff with the Italian national team at EURO 2000, the Malta national coach did not mince his words: "Conte always had character. He was aggressive and never gave up. He has reached this status of Italy's senior  coach defi- nitely on his own merits."