SPAIN'S coach, Javier Clemente, has finally decided to give Real Madrid's teenage star Raul Gonzalez his debut in an attempt to add much-needed firepower for tonight's World Cup qualifying match against European Championship finalists Czech Republic.
The 19-year-old, who scored twice against the Czechs in the quarter-finals of last season's European Under-21 competition, is Real Madrid's top scorer despite being moved into a supporting role by new coach Fabio Capello.
Clemente, who has dropped veteran forward Julio Salinas while Kiko Narvaez is injured, said: "There are some players absent, so it's the right moment to pick Raul."
Manchester United's Czech Republic star Karel Poborsky has admitted that the Euro '96 finalists cannot afford to lose.
Both sides opened their European group six campaigns last month with high-scoring victories over the two weakest teams in the group, with Spain beating the Faroe Islands 6-2 and the Republic thrashing Malta 6-0.
Liverpool's in-form striker, Patrik Berger, believes the Czechs have nothing to fear. "Spain is obviously a strong team but we showed in London that we can play anybody," he said.
Italy coach, Arrigo Sacchi, yesterday stuck to familiar tactics when he named his side for tonight's World Cup qualifier against Georgia in Perugia.
Juventus defender Gianluca Pessotto becomes the 53rd new cap of the five-year Sacchi era.
Pessotto may represent an element of novelty but there is nothing new about the 4-4-2 lineup Italy will adopt against Georgia, who will be playing their first match in the group.
Earlier this week Sacchi indicated he would abandon the three-man attack of Fabrizio Ravanelli, Pierluigi Casiraghi and Enrico Chiesa used initially in Saturday's 3-1 World Cup win away to Moldova.
Accordingly, Sacchi has returned to the line-up he knows best, with striker Enrico Chiesa being replaced by Angelo Di Livio who plays alongside Antonio Conte, Roberto Di Matteo and Amedeo Carbon in a fourman midfield.
Tonight's game against Georgia will be Italy's first home match since their disappointing early exit from the European championship finals in June.
