With pressure on Italy mounting ahead of Wednesday's must-win Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland, the Azzurri have started to show the back-to-the-wall spirit that enabled them to win last year's World Cup.
When badgered by the Italian press about the disastrous consequences of a defeat by the joint Group B leaders in Bari, Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro refused to be ruffled, replying: "we'll just have to win then".
The European and FIFA World Player of the Year has said that he is confident Italy will come through because "this squad always gives its best in difficult moments, when you can't make any more mistakes".
On Monday coach Roberto Donadoni hit back angrily at the Italian media for suggesting defeat Wednesday would put his job in peril.
He said the press had written "enough lies in the last few days to fill an encyclopaedia" and protested it was unfair to put his team "on trial before anything has happened".
The comments reminded pundits of a similar outburst by Donadoni's predecessor Marcello Lippi during Germany 2006.
Many believe the siege mentality Lippi instilled in his squad at the World Cup, after the Calciopoli referee-rigging scandal had people calling for the coach and several top players to quit, was the key to Italy's success.
Last weekend's Euro 2008 qualifiers upped the pressure on Donadoni, as Scotland and France strengthened their lead of Group B with wins over Georgia and Lithuania, while Ukraine moved passed the Azzurri by beating the Faroe Islands.
Italy are now fourth in the group with seven points, five fewer than France and Scotland - who have played one game more - and two behind Ukraine.
If Scotland get even a point out of the Bari clash, Italy's chances of making the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland would start to look slender.
Donadoni stressed, however, that there is no reason for a team that have won their last two qualifiers to be pessimistic - not yet, anyway.
What's more, history is on his side. Scotland have lost all of the five previous matches against the Azzurri in Italy.
The former AC Milan and Italy midfielder is expected to opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Fiorentina's Luca Toni playing alone up front.
AC Milan's Andrea Pirlo and AS Roma's Daniele De Rossi should take up the two central positions in front of a back-line of Massimo Oddo, Cannavaro, Marco Materazzi and Gianluca Zambrotta.
Mauro Camoranesi, Simone Perrotta and Antonio Di Natale are tipped to form the trident of attacking midfielders supporting Toni.
This formation is designed to give the side a sharp attacking edge and at the same time stop the Azzurri getting out-muscled by an aggressive five-man Scottish midfield.
Donadoni's main doubt regards Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who missed training Monday because of a flu bug.
Buffon was back in action on Tuesday, but Torino's Christian Abbiati is ready to stand in between the posts if the Juve man is not fit to play.
Many of the 5,000 kilt-clad Scottish fans expected to attend Wednesday's match are already in Bari, where they have been greeted by the rainy weather of their homeland.
Authorities in the southern city have banned the public sale and consumption of alcohol between 8am and midnight on Wednesday to prevent trouble.
They also stressed that banners with violent, racist or anti-Semitic sentiments will not be allowed into Bari's Stadio San Nicola.
