Italian football has always been a byword for defensive excellence. A tradition of rugged defenders and the invention of the Catenaccio system helped establish the notion that Italian teams start out with an emphasis on not conceding, so it seems apt that their player to watch in South Africa is their goalkeeper.

Gianluigi Buffon is one of the greatest goalkeepers ever. Winner of the Yashin award at Germany 2006, Buffon was named in the all-star team for the tournament, just as he was at Euro 2008 two years later. He has won a century of international caps and was named by Pele in his list of 125 greatest living footballers.

Buffon gives Italy the stability and calmness all top goalkeepers possess. A stunning shot-stopper, Buffon adds value by doing the simple things superbly. He is reliable under crosses and uses his physical presence to command the box and marshal his defence.

Buffon kept four clean sheets in Italy's triumph four years ago and it is clear that the Azzurri's hopes of retaining the trophy depend on another tight defensive display - as good as Buffon is, his key player status is partly due to the lack of creative talent further forward. Still, those who enjoy pouring over the World Cup match betting prior to a game would do well to back Italy not to concede if Buffon is between the sticks.

However, the lack of a cutting edge means many people doubt Italy's chances of glory this time around, something that is reflected in the FIFA World Cup betting odds. Marcello Lippi oversees an ageing squad that seems to have little to recommend it apart from defensive organisation and a star goalkeeper - of course much the same was said four years ago and Italian supporters do not need reminding the success a similar combination brought in Germany.