Pic of the day

We are still in awe of how impressive Andrea Pirlo was at the weekend. It takes skill, and some unusual training methods, to be that good.

We’ve already waxed lyrical about Pirlo’s bottle in the shoot-out, and his overall brilliance and now, thanks to this picture which appeared on 101greatgoals today, we now have an insight into how the 33-year-old prepares.

He is snapped here running with an oxygen mask in preparation for the meeting with Germany on Thursday. He has already been compared to Batman’s latest villain Bane for this pic while we think there is more than a hint of Hannibal Lecter in that steely glare.

Will it scare the German midfield though?