Fabio Capello admits he was surprised by just how good Italy were in beating England 2-1, saying they are a nation nobody at the World Cup will be happy about meeting as the tournament progresses.
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The 2006 World Cup winners could book their place in the round of 16 on Friday with a win over Costa Rica, while their coach Cesare Prandelli has not stopped repeating how they are aiming to go all the way in Brazil.
They underlined that desire in their opening group game, impressing Russia coach Capello, who said "It's never easy to beat a team like England."
"I was struck by the Azzurri's quality," added the Italian in La Gazzetta dello Sport. "A lot is said of [Andrea] Pirlo, and rightly so. But Prandelli's Italy have big players in every corner of the field.
"They were and still are the loose cannons of the tournament. Nobody wants to find Italy blocking their path, ever."
Nobody will like to meet Netherlands either, but fortunately for Capello, his Russia can avoid both until the semifinals. "You can see that Holland have arrived here in great shape," said Capello, 68 on Wednesday. "Right now, you can't catch even a glimpse of any weaknesses in [Louis] Van Gaal's team.
"Their five goals against Spain were a warning sign, but also the way they responded to falling behind to Australia confirms that Holland are a force to be reckoned with."
As for Russia's chances, Capello says they just need to relax a bit more.
"We were as tense as a string on a violin," he said, reflecting on Tuesday's 1-1 draw with South Korea. "Our emotions got the better of us, but it's nothing strange.
"We just lack a certain amount of experience at this level, but I'm not worried. We're only at the start of the World Cup.
"Next up we've got Belgium, a very talented side who are growing, but I'm sure we'll be up for it."