Italy take on Spain in the semi-final
of the Nations League in Enschede on Thursday, looking for a win
to book a ticket to Sunday's final and a shot at redemption
after failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
If they get through they will meet the winner of Wednesday's
game between hosts Netherlands and Croatia.
Mancini stressed that getting to the finals was a "great
achievement" after progressing from a group that included
Germany, England and Hungary.
The core of his 23-man squad is formed by five of the Inter
players who were part of the team that lost 1-0 to Manchester
City in last weekend's Champions League final - Matteo Darmian,
Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco and
Nicolo Barella.
"We respect Spain but don't fear them," said Acerbi, who was
praised for blunting the threat of City's Erling Haaland in the
Champions League final.
"We know their strengths and weaknesses. It's an important match
that we want to win to progress to the final."
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