Italy need points in Ukraine, Spain want reaction

MILAN, Sep 11 (Reuters) World champions Italy face a tricky trip to Ukraine tomorrow and England host Russia knowing defeats would hamper their Euro 2008 qualification hopes.

Third-placed Portugal are also far from comfortable in Group A and need a home win against hard-working Serbia to follow up on Saturday's 2-2 draw with leaders Poland, who travel to Finland in second.

Stuttering Spain are level on points with second-placed Northern Ireland in Group F despite Saturday's lacklustre 1-1 draw in Iceland, but they will be wary of Latvia's visit after the Baltic nation beat Nigel Worthington's Irish side 1-0.

Group D's crunch match comes in Prague where the Czech Republic in second can pull clear of third-placed Ireland with a win and almost put group leaders Germany through to next year's finals in neighbouring Austria and Switzerland.

The Netherlands can build on the weekend's 2-0 win over Group G rivals Bulgaria when Marco Van Basten's men visit Albania, although Bulgaria will be more confident of the points at home to Luxembourg. Leaders Romania do not play.

In Group C, holders Greece travel to second-placed Norway looking to extend their two-point advantage at the top while Turkey, two points behind the Scandinavians, entertain Hungary.

GATTUSO SUSPENDED Roberto Donadoni's Italy will be without tough-tackling midfielder Gennaro Gattuso for the Group B game in Kiev after the AC Milan player picked up a booking in Saturday's 0-0 draw with leaders France, a repeat of last year's World Cup final.

Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo and Gianluca Zambrotta are doubts for the Ukraine match while striker Luca Toni is again out with a thigh strain and has been replaced in the squad by Juventus forward Vincenzo Iaquinta.

His Juve team mate Alessandro Del Piero was off the pace at the San Siro on Saturday and may be fearing for his place for a game Italy cannot afford to lose despite second-placed Scotland also visiting 2000 winners France on Wednesday.

''We have a difficult trip to Ukraine where we must be careful not to leave ourselves exposed,'' Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro told reporters.

France, who are without the suspended Thierry Henry, have 19 points, Scotland 18, Italy 17 and Ukraine 13.

The game will be played at Paris's Parc de Princes because of the Rugby World Cup with coach Raymond Domenech worried about the pitch and keen to avoid a repeat of Scotland's 1-0 win over his side last October.

England still lie third in Group E despite Saturday's morale-boosting 3-0 home win over Israel.

Guus Hiddink's Russia, one point ahead in second, will be much tougher opponents at Wembley but Steve McClaren may name the same team with Frank Lampard and Owen Hargreaves again ruled out with injury.

Striker Emile Heskey performed well against Israel in his first international match since Euro 2004 and will hope to keep his place alongside Michael Owen despite Liverpool's giant forward Peter Crouch being available after suspension.

Group leaders Croatia have a simple-looking trip to Andorra.

Spain host Latvia in Oviedo with coach Luis Aragones still upset by their performance against Iceland, when they scrambled a 1-1 draw following Xabi Alonso's early dismissal for stamping.

''We are making a big mistake if we believe we can beat teams easily, and the results prove that,'' Aragones told the Spanish Football Federation's Web site (www.rfef.es). Media reports said Aragones tore into his players at halftime in Reykjavik.

Northern Ireland visit Iceland on Wednesday but table toppers Sweden have no match. Denmark, the 1992 winners, host Liechtenstein but look out of contention.

REUTERS BJR DS1407