Italy's new diamond midfield did the trick, as Fabio Grosso and Vincenzo Iaquinta sealed an impressive 2-0 win over Bulgaria. However, Fabio Cannavaro will be suspended for the trip to Ireland.

Fittingly for a game played in Turin, there were seven Juventus players in the starting XI with numerous changes from the side that beat Georgia 2-0 in Tbilisi last week thanks to two Kakha Kaladze own goals. Andrea Pirlo was moved to a more advanced role in the diamond midfield, changing tactics too, while Daniele De Rossi returned from a ban. Newcomers were Fabio Grosso, Claudio Marchisio and Alberto Gilardino.

Bulgaria were still in the running for both the leadership of Group 8 and the second place valid for a play-off, as they were unbeaten with two wins and five draws. By winning this game, Italy would be in a very strong position to qualify regardless of the trip to Ireland. Giovanni Trapattoni and assistant Marco Tardelli were in the stands.

Seven minutes in Pirlo spread the play for Grosso down the left and his cross flashed across the face of goal with Gila at full stretch missing it by inches. Dimitar Ivankov timed his run off the line perfectly to pluck a dangerous ball off the head of Iaquinta.

It was Grosso who broke the deadlock with a wonderfully well-worked goal in his new stadium. The full-back combined with Pirlo, just as they had in the World Cup 2006. Pirlo chipped the ball over the defence with a first-touch to find Grosso's left-foot volley in off the underside of the bar.

This was the first goal Italian players had scored since the Confederations Cup, having gone four games without hitting the back of the net other than through own goals.

It was so nearly 2-0 moments later, as down the right flank Gianluca Zambrotta pulled back a perfect pass for Iaquinta, but the Juventus striker scuffed his angled drive and allowed Stanislav Manolev to perform a goalline clearance.

Dimitar Rangelov wasted two chances with a weak header and a pass straight to Buffon from the counter, while Zambrotta and Iaquinta blasted hopeful efforts over.

However, on 25 minutes Buffon required an incredible save! A corner found Stilian Petrov's volley at the near post from six yards, but the goalkeeper flew to the very top corner to punch it out, perhaps withat least some of the ball crossing the line.

De Rossi turned wide from a free kick and Iaquinta nodded a Pirlo set play over the bar, but Petrov again drilled inches wide from the edge of the box. De Rossi's snapshot took a deflection to loop over and from the corner Iaquinta's header whistled past the far post.

Italy doubled their advantage on 39 minutes with another well-worked team goal. Iaquinta's dummy allowed the Grosso pass through for Gilardino, who exchanged double passes to carve the Bulgarian defence apart and the Juve star placed an angled drive into the far corner with the inside of his foot. It was his fifth goal for the Azzurri.

Mauro Camoranesi cheekily flicked up the ball off his heel to commit a defender, but the shot was too close to the goalkeeper.

After the break the Bulgarian goalkeeper dealt with a backpass poorly and Camoranesi's follow-up was charged down. Giuseppe Rossi replaced Gilardino and immediately tested Ivankov from distance. Bulgaria made a double substitution with Blagoy Georgiev and Parma striker Valeri Bojinov replacing Rangelov and Martin Petrov.

Georgiev had a great chance with practically his first touch, a free kick squirming through everyone to find Buffon's forearm before it could curl in at the far post.

Marchisio almost scored in his hometown game, running into space on to a marvellous Camoranesi pass over the top, but the finish was neither a cross nor a shot and whistled wide.

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov was overall very quiet, but fired one effort over from outside the box. Berbatov also tried to score with a backheel, but he was in an offside position and Buffon blocked it anyway.

Simone Pepe of Udinese came on for Marchisio, while Valeri Domovchiyski replaced Yankov.

There was bad news when Fabio Cannavaro was booked for a crucial foul to stop Bojinov's counter and the captain will be suspended for the trip to Ireland. Georgiev curled the free kick wide of the near post and aimed another long-range snapshot over the bar.

A triple defensive error from De Rossi, Camoranesi and Chiellini gave Bojinov free reign, but the former Manchester City striker only clipped the outside of the upright.

Rossi went close on 81 minutes when his angled drive forced Ivankov to turn it out for a corner at the near post. Gaetano D'Agostino replaced Iaquinta late on.

Camoranesi set up a great counter in stoppages for Pirlo, but the Milan man was visibly tired and stumbled on top of the ball in the D.

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