Italy boss Antonio Conte has challenged his side to win all of their remaining four Euro 2016 qualifying matches.
The Azzurri began their campaign in perfect fashion with three wins in a row, but they have drawn each of their last three outings to fall two points behind Group H leaders Croatia.
Conte's side face bottom-placed Malta on Thursday, where they will be expected to return to winning ways before hosting Bulgaria three days later.
"We can seal qualification for the European Championship with two wins over Malta and Bulgaria. We have to focus on our games," the former Juventus manager told reporters.
"The aim is to win them all and finish top of the group; to win all of our four remaining matches would also help our confidence. We would grow from every point of view. It will be crucial to achieve these six points, it would allow us to prepare better for June.
"Malta is a team that has grown a lot in the past few years. They defend with eight men. They are a tough opponent for every team."
Italy have won all seven of their previous encounters with Malta, scoring 20 goals and conceding just two in the process.
