Italy coach Marcello Lippi admits he'll be wary of any surprises from the Republic of Ireland's Italian boss Giovanni Trapattoni.

"This match is a unique opportunity," said Lippi of Wednesday night's head-to-head at the Stadio San Nicola in Bari.

"We want to beat Ireland to consolidate our position of privilege in the table. The Irish are our main antagonists in this race and must not be evaluated based on last night's draw with Bulgaria, but rather on everything they have done so far in this qualifying campaign."

It will be the first time Trapattoni has faced the Azzurri as an opponent, having led his country from 2000 to 2004 with 25 wins, 12 draws and seven defeats.

"Trapattoni is the image of sport and a reference point for our football," added Lippi, who took over from Trap for the lead-in to the triumphant 2006 World Cup.

"He is an inspiration for his experience, success, honesty, determination, dedication and the enthusiasm he still has aged 70. He is still called around the world to teach kids about football.

"These are all reasons why I say we must be wary on April 1 that he doesn't play a trick on us. What will I be doing at that age? I don't even know what I'm doing tomorrow morning!"