Italy is out of the European Championships. Rightly so. Switzerland deserved to go ahead, having outplayed us in the game as well as in the score (2-0). Italy has simply never been there.
In the first forty-five minutes the Azzurri literally did not arrive. Only one goal conceded, but the Swiss also conceded a post. What made an impression was the paucity of the blue game. Nothing was seen. It’s difficult to blame individuals. Maybe Spalletti made the wrong choices? Maybe our people didn’t have the necessary trust? Maybe the Swiss are much stronger than us? It certainly couldn’t have been worse than this.
In the second half we all hoped to see something better, we believed in it, we cursed for it to happen. But after 30 seconds we went down 2-0. Total shock.
However, the matches last 90 minutes. And here at the 7th st the Azzurri hit the post. Or, better said, the Swiss risk an own goal with an awkward backwards header from Schar.
Spalletti first throws Zaccagni into the fray in place of El Shaarawy (1st minute), then Retegui in place of Barella (19th minute). The Genoa striker joins Scamacca up front.
The most impressive thing is that for a good 70 minutes we never managed to worry Sommer. The first (called) shot for the Azzurri was taken by Retegui in the 73rd minute, which the Inter goalkeeper grabbed with ease. When the Swiss goalkeeper trembled it was due to a blunder by one of his teammates. Where can a team go that can’t make a shot? Zaccagni – him again – will take care of lighting up Italy. In the 29th minute he verticalized an inviting ball into the area, but Scamacca hit the post from close range.
Spalletti tries everything, inserting Cambiaso and Pellegrini in place of Darmian and Cristante.
Sadly painful match for Italy, which exits the European Championships with a truly terrible performance.
Italy tired, empty, sitting. We are deservedly out of the tournament, having shown neither game, nor touches of class (those that sometimes save everything), nor anything else. We will have to work, and work hard, in view of the World Cup, which in the last two editions we have not even participated in.
“We were not very incisive.
What made the difference was the rhythm”, says Spalletti at the end of the match. And he also repeats it while thinking about World Cup: “We need more rhythm.”
Anyone who saw Italy-Switzerland knows it was a total disaster. Italy did nothing and was humiliated. It couldn’t get any worse…
