A team known for stopping goals and not scoring them, Italy head into Brazil a much changed nation.

Gone are the days of Paolo Maldini, Pablo Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta where a 1-0 victory was seen as the ideal scoreline.

Today’s Azzuri are a much more positive side and have the firepower to show it on the world stage.

No strangers to the finals, Italy have won the World Cup four times, the last being in 2006.

They qualified for Brazil 2014 without losing a game, winning six and drawing four with Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli leading the goalscoring charts with five goals.

Qualifying was never going to be the hard part though. With five finals behind them in 12 tournaments, they are a nation with an excellent record at the major tournaments.

But while most nations will want to avoid them, manager Cesare Prandelli is more worried about qualifiying out of  the group stage after they failed to do so under Marcello Lippi in 2010.

“We’re in a tough group,” said the 56-year-old.

“We have to go into it in such a way as to put these teams in difficulty.

“Uruguay, England and Costa Rica are underestimated by many but not by us.

“England have five or six new players who have had an extraordinary season.”

But it is difficult not to see Italy as group favourites.

In goal they have one of the all-time greatest in Gianluigi Buffon.

And despite not having the usual strong defence Italy are famous for, Juventus centre-backs Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonnuci form a formidable partnership.

Mattia de Sciglio and Ignazio Abate both play for Milan have built up quite the understanding down the flanks for club side, something they will be hoping to replicate on the national stage.

In front of the back-four will be the ever-cool Andrea Pirlo who at the age of 35 is still one of the best play-makers in the world and is deadly from free-kicks.

The tough-tackling Daniele de Rossi will provide the midfield with the steel needed to beat the better sides while the young Marco Verrati could be used if Pirlo tires towards the end of games.

Italy tend to play without natural wingers but in Alessio Cerci, Sebastian Giovinco and Lorenzo Insigne they have three players who love to run at full-backs and the ability to cross for the strikers or cut-in and shoot themselves.

Balotelli was the difference at Euro 2012 and Prandelli will be looking for the same level of performance from his talisman.

If not, Ciro Immobile and Giuseppe Rossi have the talent to score the goals but both have their flaws.

Rossi is coming off a injury-plauged season where Immobile has only impressed for half-a-season at Torino and many feel this World Cup may have come to soon for the 24-year-old.

Prandelli may decide to abandon his attacking appraoch for old Italian style of play if his strikers fail to pack their goalscoring boots.

But he has the options to change things and may decide that their best chance is to gung-ho when they face England on June 14.

Verdict: A very tough group but they should have enough to finish in the top two.

The focus will be on attack rather then the defence and if Balotelli can find form, they will be difficult to stop.

Quarter-finals will be their limit.