It went too well. From what we saw, from how Spain dominated the match, the final 1-0 was far too generous. After the victory against Albania, Luciano Spalletti’s national team lost the second match of group B. The 2-2 draw between Croatia and Albania puts Italy out of trouble, but at this point on Monday Leipzig will need a victory against Modric and his teammates to make sure they get through to the round of 16 (but a draw will almost certainly be enough).
The match was always managed by de la Fuente’s boys and the paradox is that the goal that decided the match was actually an unfortunate own goal by Calafiori. But before and after the 1-0, captain Donnarumma performed authentic miracles, the only one to oppose a red-tinged dominance inspired by the speed of Nico Williams and Yamal, by Fabian’s verticalisations and by Pedri’s insertions. There was no match, even if the match was in the balance until the end.
Luciano Spalletti has re-proposed the same Dortmund eleven but there is an abyss between Albania and Spain. De la Fuente’s team is on another level: more aggressive, more precise than Italy in transition. From the first moments they were the Red Furies to control the match with a ball possession percentage consistently above 60%. Anything but a tiki taka sterile: ready to go and after 85 seconds Pedri was unable to beat Donnarumma with a header three meters from the goal line after a cross from Nico Williams. In the tenth minute, after a returned cross from Morata, it was the Athletic striker who found himself all alone in the area: another header, but this time the ball incredibly ended up wide of the target.
On the one hand, Italy as it is today. On the other – with the red shirt – the Italy that dreams of Spalletti. The difference is still huge. In the 24th, after a serpentine from Yamal, Morata did well to turn around in the area and call Donnarumma into overtime. But the real miracle was achieved by the Italy captain a few minutes later: on a thirty-metre shot from Fabian, the Azzurri’s number one removed the ball from seven with a prodigious intervention.
At the end of the first half Spain pulled the handbrake a bit: just a few more harmless shots from distance. Italy was able to take a breath. Above all, returning to the locker room at 0-0.
However, in the second half the game didn’t change one iota. Spalletti covered himself, brought on Cristante and Cambiaso, but Spain continued to dominate the game and after another opportunity devoured by Pedri they found the goal in the most unexpected way, with an unfortunate deflection from Calafiori after a poisonous cross from Nico Williams who put Donnarumma out of action.
The dispute is unlocked Red Furies they mostly managed. Spalletti changed half the team, asked his players for more courage than him. But the game only got back on track in injury time when, after another couple of miracles from our goalkeeper, there was also a sharp Italian strike. Nothing done. Italy had to test their growth this evening: after these 90 minutes it is clear that they are still far from Spain.
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