Italy and Russia know their tasks

Italy take on Russia in their concluding match of Group C knowing a draw will secure a place in the quarter-finals of UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™, while their opponents must win to stand any chance of progressing to the last eight.

• A point for Italy would give them second place unless England beat Sweden. A win for Italy would give them second place unless England beat Sweden by fewer than three goals, in which case the Azzurre would progress as one of the two best third-placed teams.

• If Russia win, they would beat Italy to third should England avoid defeat, but would only pip Denmark as one as the two best third-placed teams to the quarter-finals with a three-goal victory. If England lose, Russia would claim second place with a victory superior to 2-1 on a three-way head-to-head with England and Italy.

• The Group C runners-up play Germany in Lahti on 4 September and should the third-placed team progress, they would meet Finland in Turku the previous day.

• The Azzurre were on a high going into their second group game against Sweden following a 2-1 defeat of England but were swiftly brought back down to earth by goals in the opening 19 minutes from Lotta Schelin and Kosovare Asllani. That 2-0 scoreline ensured Sweden's passage into the last eight.

• Later the same day, Russia – beaten 3-0 by Sweden on Matchday 1 – were 2-0 up by the midway point of the first half against England thanks to goals from Ksenia Tsybutovich and Olesya Kurochkina. However, Hope Powell's miraculously struck three times in 18 minutes before the first half was out through Karen Carney, Eniola Aluko and Kelly Smith's stunning winner from the centre circle.

• Russia and Italy have never met before in the UEFA European Women's Championship.

• In all these teams have played three times, not counting a 1-0 win for Italy against the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States in Rimini in February 1992. Other than that, Russia have recorded three unanswered wins by an aggregate of 7-3.

• Their first meeting came on 10 October 2001 in Siena in a FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier and Russia came away with a 3-1 win.

• Nadezhda Bosikova gave Russia a 31st-minute lead and although Maria Guarino equalised just before the hour, Elena Formina immediately restored the visitors' advantage and Natalia Barbachina made sure of victory with seven minutes left.

• The teams were:
Italy: Giorgia Brenzan, Giulia Perelli, Daniela Tavalazzi, Marina Pellizzer (Piera Maglio), Manuela Tesse, Samantha Ceroni, Elisa Camporese (Gioia Masia), Chiara Gazzoli, Silvia Tagliacarne (Pamela Conti), Tatiana Zorri, Maria Guarino.
Russia: Svetlana Petko, Natalia Karasseva, Marina Bourakova, Marina Saenko, Vera Stroukova, Galina Komarova, Elena Fomina, Irina Grigorieva (Tatiana Egorova), Alexandra Svetlitskaia, Nadezhda Bosikova (Olga Letiouchova), Natalia Barbachina.

• The return was on 22 May 2002 in Selyatino and Russia came from behind to win 2-1. Tatiana Zorri put Italy into a ninth-minute lead but Barbachina equalised from the penalty spot in the 66th minute and seven minutes later Marina Saenko clinched victory in similar fashion. The following month Italy drew 0-0 with Iceland, ending the Azzurre's hopes and sending Russia to the United States as group winners.

• The teams were:
Russia: Svetlana Petko, Natalia Karasseva, Marina Bourakova, Marina Saenko, Vera Stroukova, Galina Komarova (Irina Grigorieva), Tatiana Egorova, Elena Fomina (Nadezhda Bosikova), Alexandra Svetlitskaia (Tatiana Skotnikova), Natalia Barbachina, Olga Letiouchouva.
Italy: Giorgia Brenzan, Monica Placchi, Gioia Masia, Giulia Perelli (Daniela Dibari), Manuela Tesse, Alessia Tuttino (Pamela Conti), Elisa Camporese, Chiara Gazzoli (Sara Di Filippo), Patrizia Panico, Tatiana Zorri, Maria Guarino.

• Their most recent game was on 2 October 2002 in Cary, North Carolina in the US Women's Cup. Russia won 2-1, again after trailing at the break, with Guarino 28th-minute goal cancelled out just past the hour by Barbachina, who struck the winner in added time.

• The teams were:
Russia: Maria Pigaleva, Marina Kolomiets, Natalia Karaseva (Anastasia Poustovoitova), Vera Stroukova, Elena Jikhareva, Svetlana Sedakova (Irina Mironova), Alexandra Svetlitskaya (Oxana Shmachkova), Elena Fomina, Tatiana Skotnikova, Natalia Barbachina, Olga Letyushova.
Italy: Fabiana Comin, Moira Placchi (Damiana Deiana), Margherita Masia, Giula Perelli, Pamela Conti, Marina Pellizzer (Elisa Camporese), Tatiana Zorri (Katia Serra), Valentina Boni (Piera Maglio), Alessia Tuttino, Rita Guarino (Ilaria Pasqui, Chiara Gazzoli (Patrizia Panico).

• Italy have been among the last eight in every edition of this competition, with their best performances being runs to the 1993 and 1997 finals, though in 2001 and 2005 they departed in the group stage. They have twice qualified for the World Cup, reaching the 1991 quarter-finals but bowing out in the group stage eight years later.

• The first Russian experience of the competition was as part of the Commonwealth of Independent States team that reached the two-legged 1993 quarter-finals on their sole appearance – a statistic that includes the former Soviet Union – losing 7-0 on aggregate to Germany.

• Russia lost to the same team at the same stage two years later and although they qualified for the new final group stage in 1997 and 2001, departed with three losses in the first tournament and one point in the latter. Last time out Finland eliminated Russia in the play-offs.

• Russia have twice qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup and both times, in 1999 and 2003, reached the quarter-finals.

• Russia's Elena Terekhova and Italy's Elisabetta Tona played together for American club FC Indiana in their 2007 WPSL-winning side, both making the All-WPSL Tournament Team.