"Italy will be a tough nut to crack but we are confident we can produce a surprise," said Shevchenko, whose teammates redeemed him after he missed a spotkick in the Ukrainians' shootout win over Switzerland in the last 16.

"The Italians have won the tournament three times and they are a step up on anything we have faced to date, but I'd say we have an even chance.

"That's what we are telling ourselves," the new 30-million-pound (54.5-million-dollar) Chelsea striker told reporters at the team's training headquarters in Potsdam near Berlin.

The sharp-tongued Blokhin saw his nerves desert him to the extent he had to go and sit in the bowels of the stadium during the Swiss match but he said he had since recovered his poise.

"In my opinion, the pressure is on Italy as they are the favourites. At this stage, each match is a bonus for us," he said.

Blokhin admitted Ukraine "will miss" the physical attacking play of Andriy Voronin, Shevchenko's sidekick who is ruled out with a thigh injury.

"But everyone else is fit," said the former European footballer of the year, who twice played at World Cups for the former Soviet Union.

Blokhin said the war of attrition against the Swiss was the kind of match which had to be played on the road to glory - and said reigning champions Brazil, criticised for not hitting top gear to date, knew that as well as anyone.

"People keep telling me who to play and who not. But the Brazilian coach says it's not so important how we play but that we win.

"He's right."

The Ukrainian Football Federation had set aside 4.5 million euros (5.6 million dollars) in bonuses for the squad just for qualifying for the finals, then hiked that to 17 million for reaching the last eight. But a place in the semis will see the cash pile doubled again.

Ukrainian sources added that in the event of the team actually winning the trophy - Blokhin insisted upon qualification that the goal was possible - then the pot of gold will hit 29 million euros.

Blokhin added his voice to the refereeing at this World Cup, saying "there have been lots of incorrect decisions. This is why there have been a record number of red cards at this World Cup."

Frank De Bleeckere of Belgium will take charge of Friday's game.

Local authorities in Potsdam have been delighted that their guests have proved themselves the best Eastern Europe has to offer at this World Cup.

Ukraine are the only team to base themselves in the former East Germany, apart from the German team who are in Berlin, and residents have been closely following the Ukrainians' progress.

To show Potsdam is right behind their bid to reach a semi-final showdown with either hosts Germany or highly fancied Argentina, local officials had sent out a clear message to the squad via the electronic scoreboard at the modest Luftschiffhafen Stadium, where Shevchenko and his teammates have been training.

"Dear Ukrainian friends, we congratulate you will all our heart for your triumph," read the message, in Ukrainian, placed on the scoreboard following the win over the Swiss.