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Roberto Mancini leads his Italian side into this summer’s rescheduled European Championship with an almost uncharacteristic air of excitement as he attempts to lift the nation’s mood on the back of the pandemic.
Having taken over as leader of the Azzurri following Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup finals (their first missed in over 60 years), Mancini has been the perfect tonic to heal a disappointment that shook the very foundations of the country.
Going into Friday’s tournament opener at the Stadio Olimpico, it has to be said that Mancini’s new-look Italy has barely looked back since taking up the reigns from the much-maligned Gian Piero Ventura.
They qualified for the competition at a canter, topping Group J with ten straight wins and boasting a goal difference of +33, they are unbeaten in all 25 of Mancini’s games. The Azzurri are shaping up nicely to be one of the tournaments dark horses. Not that you could write off any Italian side in a major tournament.
So what makes Mancini’s side tick? With only four players out of the 26 man squad plying their trade abroad, Mancini’s picks are largely based at home. Whilst it’s not been a complete overhaul of playing philosophy, the Italians are still built from a more than sturdy foundation but with a blend of experience and, most importantly, youth.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
In goal, they possess one of the best young talents in world football in the shape of 22-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma. Not only does Donnarumma’s towering 6ft 5in frame make him an intimidating sight, his cat-like reflexes often defy a man of his size in getting to the ground quickly.
The natural heir to Gigi Buffon’s throne, following his retirement from the international scene in 2017 and 176 caps later, Donnarumma isn’t one to be phased. Coping with the pressure at Milan, his character has a particular type of bravery about it.
Having made his debut for the Rossoneri at just 16, Donnarumma recovered from a difficult period to win over supporters, making 251 appearances in all competitions that has just seen Milan finish 2nd in Serie A qualifying for Champions League football.
The tournament will be the ideal opportunity for the shot-stopper to put himself in the shop window, leaving Milan as a free agent following the last campaign, attracting interest from several top European clubs.
Allesandro Bastoni
With the old guard of Juve’s Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini in front of Donnarumma, Italy will have plenty of experience to snuff out the likes of Gareth Bale and Co during the group stages. There is no doubt that their best years are behind them; however, their natural successor lies in Inter’s Allesandro Bastoni.
Having clinched his first Scudetto, the left-sided centre half’s ability to defend stubbornly, read the game and play out from the back renders him more than capable of stepping up to the plate. However, whilst the 22-year-old may well possess the ability to leave his mark on the tournament, he’s relatively new to the international stage (five caps), and there will be no guarantees that he’ll be starting despite his domestic successes.
Nicolò Barella
Building on those fine Italian traditions, the sprinkling of magic from midfield appears to have been found in one of Bastoni’s Inter teammates, 24-year-old Nicolò Barella.
A goalscorer in Italy’s 4-0 thrashing off the Czech Republic last weekend, Barella has been in fine form for Inter this season with three goals and nine assists. Whilst those stats may not point towards global domination at this point, Barella has an air of Andrea Pirlo about him in making the sublime look so simple.
“His time has come. I like how he plays, how he fights, how he runs. He is our star” – Marcello Lippi
With Juve’s impressive 23-year-old Federico Chiesa also expected to start, Italy’s midfield on paper looks mouth-watering. But it’s up top where Mancini will arguably face his biggest challenges in the tournament and the ex-Manchester City boss does not have an internationally profilic striker in the mould of Griezmann, Kane or Lewandowski n their armoury.
Lazio’s Ciro Immobile look set to lead the line but is yet to replicate his club goalscoring feats for country. Having finished another season breaking the 20 goal barrier in Serie A, at 31, he’ll be looking to build on the 13 goals in 46 games for the national side. Stepping out onto the Stadio Olympico turf on Friday night, Immobile will be in more than familiar surroundings. This could well be his time to shine.
Speaking of familiar, Hakan Çalhanoğlu of Turkey won’t be a new face for the Italians to come accustomed with on Friday evening. Having plied his trade in Serie A with Milan since 2017, the Turk finds himself a free agent this summer.
A playmaking midfielder, Çalhanoğlu, will be dangerous with his close control and appetite for long-distance strikes. Former teammate Donnarumma will know only too well about the threat his right foot poses from set-pieces.
Turkey won’t be there to make the numbers up in the expanded tournament, and Head Coach Şenol Güneşwill be looking to open positively. Having qualified as runners up from Group H, Turkey, only beaten once by Iceland, were undefeated against World Champions France, beating them 2-0 in Konya.
They will be without their top scorer from the qualifiers, with ex-Everton flop Cenk Tosun missing through injury. Instead, Turkey will be pinning their hopes on veteran striker Burak Yilmaz to continue his impressive goal scoring form with 29 goals in 36 appearances for his country.
Having just finished the season with a Ligue 1 championship-winning medal under his belt at Lille, the Italians will not want to underestimate the power of his goalscoring pedigree. If his international record is impressive, following a return of 16 goals in 28 games last season, he could be a real force to be reckoned with on Friday evening.
The scene is set, and all that awaits us now is the Dutch referee Danny Makkelie’s whistle to finally get the 2020 European Championships underway.
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