Will there be an upset? Northern Ireland plan to stun Italy

Will 'risky' Gattuso lead Italy back to World Cup? As a player, Gattuso did not sleep before big games. It's similar as a manager but he now has the aid of sleeping pills from his doctor.

Otherwise, he says, "at 4. 30 or 5am I wake up and I'm wide-eyed like a bat". Gattuso is carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders.

It's a big responsibility. The former AC Milan midfielder stepped into the role to replace Luciano Spalletti in June, and has won five of his six matches. "I've been coaching for a number of years now, but certainly this game is the most important fixture of my coaching career so far," said Gattuso.

"I'm prepared and, believe me, I'm not thinking about things going badly, I'm thinking positively. "I want to think big, and we certainly will compete and we'll see how things come out. " He has admiration from O'Neill, who in 2012 was tasked with a similar job of trying to lift a Northern Ireland side at a low point.