EURO 2020
his stunning brace during Italy’s resounding 3-0 victory over Switzerland. The young midfielder was already well known to Serie A fans, but his man of the match performance thrust him into the limelight and sparked interest from clubs across Europe. Interestingly, Atalanta’s Matteo Pessina ended up being the decisive factor in the Azzurri’s final group game against Wales. He wasn’t initially on the first-choice list and was only added following Stefano Sensi’s injury on June 7. By the time they took on Austria in the round of 16, Italy had already written their name into European Championship history by becoming just the fifth side to go through the group stage without conceding a goal. England would match that feat two days later, but the Three Lions only scored twice themselves compared to the Azzurri’s haul of seven. Finally, people were starting to take notice of an Azzurri team who still maintained their staunchly defensive origins, but were also fearsome in attack. In scenes reminiscent of the 2006 World
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SOCCER360 SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2021
‘THIS ITALY TEAM WILL BE TALKED ABOUT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME’
Cup when two late goals were enough to sink Germany in extra time of their semi-final clash, Italy showed great mettle to dig deep and finally break down a very stubborn and resilient Austria side. Mancini also showed significant tactical nous with two key changes in the second half, bringing on Pessina and Federico Chiesa. Fresh from a solid debut season with Juventus, Chiesa finally broke the deadlock in extra time, followed by Pessina 10 minutes later. Although Austria would end Italy’s 19-hour world record for not conceding a goal soon after, the Azzurri hung on to set up a mouth-watering clash against Belgium. It was their impressive defeat of the Belgians in the quarter-finals that solidified Italy’s position as contenders for the Euro title. Despite Romelu Lukaku clawing one back, earlier strikes from Nicolo Barella and Insigne were enough to book a tantalising rematch against Spain in the semis. Switzerland had done everyone else a huge favour by beating France on penalties in the round of 16, before they themselves were knocked out in a shootout
ABOVE: Italy celebrate winning the finals after the penalty shootout BELOW: Gianluigi Donnarumma was the hero for Italy in the penalty shootout against England
DOMINANCE After Italy ended a 53-year wait to taste European glory, Michelle Osei Bonsu recalls how the Azzurri dominated Euro 2020 from start to finish The European Championship began with a bang thanks to the tournament opener featuring Italy and Turkey. After a scoreless first half, the Crescent Stars began to crumble. This was shown by Merih Derimal’s own goal in the 53rd minute, followed by Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne both opening their accounts as the Azzurri quickly took control. The stage was set for what was to come. During their second match against Switzerland, Italy were at their very best again. Despite the Rossocrociati attempting to block channels and frustrate their hosts with a very conservative, defensive approach, Manuel Locatelli’s brace and Immobile’s goal were enough to give the Azzurri all three points. The win came at a cost though, as captain Giorgio Chiellini hobbled off injured. Already into the round of 16 with a game to spare, Roberto Mancini wisely rotated his squad in the last group game against Wales. Impressively, a team made up of largely second-string players managed to shackle Gareth Bale and co, as Gianluigi Donnarumma became the youngest goalkeeper to keep three consecutive clean sheets at the European Championship. Austria proved to be a much tougher foe than the Azzurri had expected in the last 16, but two key switches in the second half proved a masterstroke. Prior to this, Federico Chiesa hadn’t had much of an impact, but he took little time in finally making his mark. His goal in extra time gave Italy the breakthrough they needed and was followed by Matteo Pessina’s second. Despite some nervy moments late on, Italy were into the quarter-finals. In the face of such a tough task against the world’s top-ranked team, Italy looked confident and assured throughout. Belgium’s previous win over Portugal was hardly convincing, and with injuries to Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne, the Azzurri showed no signs of intimidation. A strong first-half performance and a measured approach to the second period set up an intriguing semi-final clash with rivals Spain. La Roja had shown flashes of brilliance, notably putting five past both Slovakia and Croatia, but Italy were more than up to the task. They didn’t let Alvaro Morata’s answer to Chiesa’s 60thminute goal ruffle their feathers, and both Donnarumma and Jorginho played their parts in getting Mancini’s men to their first Euro final since losing 4-0 to Spain in 2012. In the final, the Azzurri showed great fortitude and composure to eventually take down an England side who’d grown throughout the tournament. Like Italy, the Three Lions had been solid at the back, and were under immense pressure to end their 55-year wait for a major title. The Azzurri emerged victorious after a tense penalty shootout, as the European Championship went to Rome.
