Italy will play everything tomorrow against Croatia. As usual, the Azzurri are waiting for the last match of the group to go through and enter the round of 16. Even a draw could be enough, but it’s better not to count too much, you just have to win. And this Croatia honestly seems within the reach of the Italian team.
Not like what happened on Thursday against Spain which seemed too much for this national team.
Honestly, I wasn’t under any illusions
Of course, I didn’t imagine such a one-sided match, like only Germany-Scotland, the opening match. There, however, they were facing the hosts, the most continuous national team in Europe in the history of major events, and the Scots who have never made it past the first phase, between the European Championships and the World Cup.
Spain-Italy was 1-0, it could have been 3-0, comfortably. As in September 2017, when the nosedive of Gian Piero Ventura began, the coach who lost the qualification for the World Cup in the group stage to the Iberians and then lost the play-off 1-0 in Sweden and scored 0-0 in Milan, failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The beauty of football is that the result is often a lie. In the semi-final 3 years ago, the European Championships at Wembley, Italy beat the Spaniards 5-3 on penalties but the 1-1 draw on the pitch was narrow for Luis Enrique. Roberto Mancini had outdone himself to bring the Azzurri to the top of Europe, he failed to qualify for Qatar 2022 – much more difficult than the European Championships – and resigned to become coach of Saudi Arabia. He may have regretted it.
Not even that of Luciano Spalletti, the best possible successor, was great football
Italy suffered a lot, especially Nico Williams. Di Lorenzo on the right confirmed his negative season after the Scudetto in Naples, he struggles against a great striker, he is better at pushing and at 31 he seems to have already given his best.
On the other front, Dimarco held up with more dignity against the 16-year-old Lamine Yamal. The acceleration and conclusions of the left-footed dream player were certainly lacking.
Beaten with an own goal
Under such pressure, the fact that the only goal of the evening came on an own goal does not change the evaluations, in a European Championship characterized by own goals. Di Lorenzo was clearly missed by Nico, the low cross was touched by Donnarumma who ended up wrong-footing Calafiori. The Bologna defender is left-footed, the ball bounces off his thigh and into the net.
Only Donnarumma was saved
I was very worried about the pair of central defenders, they were up to the task, Bastoni made a couple of mistakes from deep but held up, thanks to Jorginho’s coverage, in the first half.
Cristante got a yellow card as soon as he entered, he made a nice acceleration on the right but it wasn’t enough. Something could have changed if the second yellow card for central defender Le Normand had arrived in the 27th minute of the second half, perhaps Italy would have managed to create more than that one treacherous cross.
It’s difficult to save anyone, the usual Barella, who held up despite a blow in the final, then the centre-backs, partly Zaccagni since he came in, Pellegrini has had little impact.
Oh well, obviously, Donnarumma, impeccable. In the big national team matches he shines.
Upper Spain
Luciano Spalletti had created great expectations around Italy, with the record-breaking scudetto with Napoli, at least until two months from the end, but he had already creaked in qualification, with the possible penalty denied to Ukraine, in the key match, on the pitch neutral.
He who is so good with words, almost as if he were the great writer Giovanni Boccaccio, also born in Certaldo, Florence, this time struggles to find justifications. “We were below level, behind in reactivity, Spain had more leg up”.
Some of his sentences during the match:
“This ball must be cleaned, otherwise it’s difficult”, “Jorginho must come and get it, otherwise there’s no point in him playing”.
“Andrea, play up front”, referring to Cambiaso, who took over from Frattesi after the restart. He meant ahead of Di Lorenzo, to double and anticipate Nico Williams.
“If he doesn’t play, wait”, referring to the synchronisms to be perfected.
Spain played better in this 1-0 than in the 3-0 against Croatia, to whom they had conceded significantly more
Coach De La Fuente hadn’t given up on tikitaka, the ball had belonged to the Croatians, but against Italy he found it again, due to our inadequacy. And now she can become the favorite again.
From the European Championship won in 2012, over Italy, they exited in the first round at the World Cup, in the round of 16 at Euro 16 and at the 18th World Cup; on penalties, in the semi-final against Italy at the last European Championship and at the World Cup, with Morocco. They are now qualified at the top of the group, like Germany, although they are not certain of being first.
Our group will decide on Monday, from 9pm
Croatia must win to progress and it might not even be enough if Albania were to beat Spain, but obviously it is very unlikely.
It is possible that the Croatians will overcome Italy, they are coming from the World Cup semi-final, from the Nations final lost on penalties to Spain, Luka Modric is 39 years old, he is unlikely to last until the World Cup, Conte always likes Perisic, for Napoli but he has 35. It is the farewell step of some. He doesn’t have great center forwards, Budimir and Petkovic, Kramaric is more than a winger, who also scored in the 2-2 draw with Albania.
The Azzurri have two results out of 3, to get through, with a draw they would be second, even a minimal defeat could leave some hope, despite the goal difference becoming negative. The best 4 of the 6 third place teams pass.
With second place, the Azzurri would find Switzerland, less likely Scotland, even less Germany. If they finished third, they would face the first of group E or F. As second, assuming they get through the round of 16, they would most likely end up against England, who were also not brilliant in the 1-1 draw with Denmark.
