World champions Italy face Spain in Elche on Wednesday in their last test ahead of the European Championships.
Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has picked a virtually unchanged squad from the one that impressed in a 3-1 win over Portugal last month.
Serie A top scorer Marco Borriello is looking to clinch a berth for Euro 2008 as back-up to first-choice centre-forward Luca Toni of Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga's leading marksman.
Donadoni has again left out veteran Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero, who has not played since a disappointing display in September.
Barring an even more spectacular finale to his already stand-out domestic campaign, Del Piero appears unlikely to add to his Italy tally of 27 goals in 85 appearances.
Against Spain, Donadoni is expected to field a line-up he has already settled on for Euro 2008, with Toni flanked by Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale and Juve winger Mauro Camoranesi.
Camoranesi's clubmate Vincenzo Iaquinta is a natural replacement for him on the right while Di Natale's back-up is another Udinese forward, Fabio Quagliarella.
The Italian press sees little likelihood that Del Piero can change this picture - and even less that 'bad boy' Antonio Cassano can make his case for selection again after a recent outburst against a ref that earned him a near-record ban.
Donadoni, the press here says, is looking for a morale-boosting result against the Spanish, who are coming off a 1-0 win against World Cup runners-up France last month.
Italy have beaten Spain nine times in their 26 encounters while the Spanish have come out better seven times - but rarely in top tournaments.
Italy's last-gasp victory in a 1994 World Cup quarter-final still rankles.
Spanish coach Luis Aragones will be without Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, who took a pounding in Liverpool's 3-0 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday.
Aragones, who has continued to ignore Raul despite the Real Madrid veteran's 15 goals this season, is expected to choose between Valencia's David Villa and Mallorca's Dani Guiza at centre-forward.
Italy is in Euro 2008's 'group of death' against France, Netherlands and Romania.
Spain face European champions Greece, Russia and Sweden in Switzerland and Austria (June 7-29).
