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Italy progressed into the quarter-final stages at Euro 2020 with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Franco Foda’s Austria at Wembley. Almost hanging on to the coattails of Austria going into extra time, the introduction of Juventus starlet Frederico Chiesa proved to be the difference for the Azzurri.
Prematch, Roberto Mancini had asked his players to embrace playing in one of the worlds great footballing ‘temples’, but a very subdued London crowd was a thousand miles apart from the Stadio Olympic in Rome, where their home crowd had buoyed Italy.
Whereas Italy had cruised through the group stages, Austria posed a different challenge on Saturday evening that exposed chinks in the Italian armour that had not been seen in the tournament thus far.
Out to make the most of their first-ever appearance in the knockout stages of the European Championships, to a man, the Austrians more than matched the Italians. Foda’s side has built a reputation for their physicality, and so the pressing game that Italy had enjoyed in Group A was sucker-punched throughout proceedings last night.
They nullified Italy’s threat of Insigne, Immobile and Berardi with both Martin Hinteregger and Aleksander Dragovic impressive at the back. Immobile had a quiet game, and bar an unlucky dipping 25-yard shot that crashed off the top of the upright in the first half; the Lazio striker failed to impose himself on his much larger counterparts.
But it was in midfield where Austria almost won the battle, for large parts not allowing Italy to step up the gears. Nicolo Barella failed to impress, having been preferred over Manuel Locatelli in returning to the starting line up and Marco Verratti was not allowed the time and space to dictate matters as he’d been afforded against the Welsh a week last Sunday.
Whilst the Italians had dominated their group stage opponents, Austria more than matched them. Not just in hard work and endeavour, but their ambition to play forward and use the quality of Marco Arnautović and Marcel Sabitzer to retain possession was a new problem to solve.
Playing on the front foot and prepared to take the game to their opponents, Italy were on the ropes as the game wore on in London and very nearly caused the tournament’s first significant upset.
From Stefan Lainer’s diagonal cross into the box, David Alaba leapt highest at the back post to head across the goal. With Gigi Donarrumma desperately looking on, Marko Arnautović used every inch of his neck muscles to expertly nod the ball home, in off the crossbar, to send the Austrians into raptures.
It was no more than the Austrians deserved at that stage of the game until the VAR call correctly adjudged Arnautović to have strayed just strayed offside as Alaba headed down. It was cruel luck, and often as these matters go, the pendulum swung back into Italy’s favour.
“It’s hard for me to find the words. If luck goes our way, we win the game in 90 minutes. We played really well and created chances, but we could have finished them off better at times. Compliments to the team and everyone involved.” – Marko Arnautović
With the Azzurri in desperate need of a shot in the arm from a relatively flat performance, it was their strength in depth that came to Mancini and the nation’s rescue. Once Federico Chiesa was unleashed on 84 minutes, the Juventus winger’s pace on the counter and ability to carry the ball was just the tonic in reviving the Italians fortunes.
Almost itching to make an impact, as he had against Wales, his direct running provided an outlet to get Italy back into the tie as the game went into extra time. The Austrians had already been given a warning before Chiesa broke the deadlock. Andrea Belotti’s good hold up work found Chiesa into the box only to see his shot gathered by keeper Bachmann.
Moments later, the decisive goal came, and as Spinazolla’s cross to the far post found Chiesa, he showed the composure to bring the ball down on the volley, adjusting his feet to crash home a sweetly hit left-foot shot that whistled past Bachmann into the far corner.
You could sense the Italians relief as the noise levels finally went up in Wembley Stadium, with Chiesa looking to the heavens as he slid onto his knees towards the corner flag. It was the moment of magic required to win the tightest of games, and Chiesa now joins his dad Enrico in scoring at the Championships, with his father scoring against Czechoslovakia in Euro 96.
“I want Cristiano (Ronaldo) to go through to face him in the quarter finals. I played with Cristiano this year and he’s one of the great, greatest of greatest players to ever play the game.” – Federico Chiesa
Still not deterred, the Austrians were in no mood to relent but started to tire as the game wore on. However, it was only until Matteo Pessina got on the end of Francesco Acerbi’s scruffy forward play, that the Italians could finally relax on the evening. Presented with the opportunity to put Austria to the sword, Atalanta’s star midfielder emphatically thumped the ball past Bachmann to seal Italy’s path into the quarter-finals.
Austria, still not prepared to give up, continued to fight back, and Donarrumma was called upon to make an excellent save from Louis Schaub. Moments later, his volley looked goal bound until the ball ricocheted off Spinazolla and from the resulting corner, Saša Kalajdžić found space to nod the ball past Donarrumma at his near post to guarantee a nervy end.
To the nation’s relief, Italy held on to secure a famous win and truly cement the impressive job that Roberto Mancini has done at the helm.
“We knew we had to suffer and we did well to do it together until the end. I’m sure that a victory like this will help us to play next game with even more energy and focus.” – Gigi Donarrumma
It was far from a vintage performance, but with competition in the ranks and the ability of the likes of Chiesa and Pessina to provide added quality coming off the bench, it would be churlish to write off the Italians just yet.
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