Norway get their second chance in four years to knock Italy out of the World Cup here on Saturday, when the two sides fight for a place in the quarter-finals.

Norway had a golden opportunity to send 10-man Italy packing in a group tie back at USA 94 in New York's Giants Stadium. Now the side led by Chelsea ace Tor Andre Flo have a second bite at the cherry in Marseille's Stade Velodrome, with the spotlight very much on the men up front.

Much will depend on how Italy's re-shuffled defence copes with Flo, and whether Alessandro Del Piero can finally show the form which made him the most outstanding home player in the Serie A last season.

So far, Norway performed the giant-killing act of the tournament by beating Brazil 2-1 on Tuesday night, after Tor scored an equaliser and then won a penalty in the closing minutes. But the Chelsea star is taking nothing for granted when they try to repeat that feat on Saturday. "It's going to be difficult, because Brazil were not obliged to win, while Italy certainly will be, " he said. " But it won't actually be any more difficult, because Brazil are the best team in the world. I'm hoping to score at least one goal against Italy."

56-year-old Olsen, meanwhile, is hoping to forget about the most miserable moment of his coaching life. In 1994, Italy had already lost to the Republic of Ireland when they met Norway five days later. Another defeat would have sent Italy home in disgrace, and the game was only 20 minutes old when Gianluca Pagliuca made a slice of World Cup history, becoming the first goalkeeper to be sent off.

Coach Arrigo Sacchi then made it even easier for Norway with his most bizarre substitution ever, hauling off Italy's best player, Roberto Baggio, to make way for Lazio keeper Luca Marchegiani.

But Norway still couldn't score a winner. And 20 minutes from the whistle, Dino Baggio rose to head home a goal which set Italy on their long road to the final, and Norway on a long flight back to Oslo. Olsen admitted this week: " It was the worst half hour of my career as a football coach. " But looking ahead to Saturday, he added: " This is a second round tie and you're either in or out of the competition. I think that Italy will push forward, and we'll be waiting for them. I reckon they've got a 50 percent chance of winning, and so have we. "

Italy will be turning to Christian Vieri to increase that percentage, as his four goals have so far established the Atletico Madrid marksman as the joint top scorer at France 98. By contrast, Del Piero knows he has to stop dithering and start delivering. " The lack of goals isn't something that weighs on me in any excessive way, " Del Piero claimed. " But obviously, it's something I do miss a bit. My job is to score and I'm not doing that yet. So far, this has been the World Cup of Vieri and Baggio, but I'm confident I can make my contribution soon. "

Coach Cesare Maldini is ready to repeat the tactics used against Austria, using Del Piero first and then Baggio at the end. But they are among the few near-certainties in Italy's starting line-up. Dino Baggio and Luigi Di Biagio can sleep easily, but the other midfield places are all up for grabs, while the fact that Norway play with a single man up front, Flo, means Italy are unlikely to play with a libero.

Giuseppe Bergomi would then be on the bench, while the loss of Alessandro Nesta would leave Fabio Cannavaro to man-mark Flo, Alessandro Costacurta to cover central defence and skipper Paolo Maldini to take the left side. Pagliuca will be between the posts, this time on his best behaviour. That would leave three men in midfield and two more on each flank, capable of running tirelessly between all three departments: Juventus men, like Gianluca Pessotto on the left and Angelo Di Livio on the right.

Whatever he decides, coach Maldini is expecting a tough battle at the Stade Velodrome. "Norway are very strong physically and they hardly ever let go of their grip on a game, " he said. " They haven't lost for 17 matches and that says a lot about what they can do, as does the fact that they've beaten Brazil twice. They are going to be difficult opponents. "

© - AFP - 1998