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As Euro 2020 well and truly finds its groove, the first of the four quarter-final ties don’t come much bigger than Italy versus Belgium at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
In the red corner, FIFA world-ranked number one side Belgium are out to add substance to their swagger, having batted off the likes of Portugal and Denmark so far in the tournament to remain undefeated in their quest to add some silverware to their glowing reputation.
In the blue corner lie Roberto Mancini’s Italy, a side that has it all to gain from this tie. Historically a side that was blessed for its overreliance on defence, this current Italian side certainly has a more laissez-faire approach about them.
Whilst Belgium will feel little to fear, they haven’t yet found their fifth gear in the tournament. Far from a resounding display against Cristiano Ronaldo and co, Thorgan Hazard’s strike was enough to separate the teams on a night where both sides lack of finishing prowess could have been costly.
Romelu Lukaku has been in the usual consistent form so far, and with 24 goals and 10 assists in Serie A, Italy will know all too well about the threat that he poses.
“From my side of things and I think the same goes for the entire squad, we’ve got a lot of respect for Lukaku because he had a great season and all campaign long we’ve witnessed just what a match-winner and a big player, he’s become.
I think you would be doing a disservice to Belgium if you were simply to say that Belgium are all about Romelu Lukaku because they’ve got quality players all over the pitch will prepare the game, as we always have done. We’ll keep an eye on him.” – Giorgio Chiellini
Lukaku will fancy his chances against familiar opposition which could see him surpass Ronaldo’s five tournament goals so far to finish as the best goalscorer of Euro 2020.
Despite being the number one ranked side in the world for the past three years, questions remain over Belgium’s success and whether they are truly capable of lifting a trophy.
Roberto Martinez will be sweating on the fitness of both Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne, and whilst the Spaniard may play down the pair’s absence and draw attention to their own depth in the squad, both players are the pinup boys of this golden generation Belgium side. A respectable third place at the 2018 World Cup showed the promise, but this fixture will carry a weight of expectation that comes with an enhanced reputation.
Martinez is well aware of the threat the Italians possess and knows that his players will be in for a battle and that the turnaround from their group games into the knockout stages hasn’t favoured his team.
“Italy will attack from the very first second; they will be very structured and dynamic. Every player knows his role. The game against Portugal was a game that could have been played a lot further down the line; usually, players don’t play these physical and intense games at this stage of the tournament. Luckily, we have enough days to recover and prepare.”
As for The Azzurri, the hearts of the nation have been lifted and having achieved a quarter-final spot at the European Championships, many across the continent might feel a sense of mission accomplished for Roberto Mancini as he tries to mastermind a long term sustainable model for Italy’s return to the footballing elite.
However, expectation continues to grow at home, but Mancini still maintains that despite the pressure, his side will still try and play the same way and at the same time enjoy the moment.
“We will play our own game, as we have always done on the front. We have a lot of respect for the team that we’re up against. We know who they are. But we need to play our own game.
“And then we’ll see what happens. As I said earlier on, there’s no such thing as a straightforward match because Switzerland beat France, Portugal around, so to Germany, the Netherlands were not terrified of Czech Republic.
So there’s no such thing as an easy game at international level, especially when you get into the last 16 and the quarterfinals, so not much changes on that score.”
As Austria proved on Saturday evening, there is a susceptibility to the Italians as they conceded their first goal during Euro 2020.
Austria’s press meant that the Italian swagger seen in the opening games was very much reduced. An air of nerves eventually created the perfect vacuum for Federico Chiesa to win the game. While winning can only breed confidence, the true test of Mancini’s men lies in Munich. It was only until Matteo Pessina had swept the ball home at Wembley that the Italians looked truly out of Austria’s reach.
As Gareth Southgate has once again produced for England this week, Mancini also has the depth in the squad that can once again be called upon. Arsenal target Manuel Locatelli grabbed the headlines with a double against Switzerland, but Pessina has equalled that total with back to back winning goals against Wales and Austria, and neither are certain starters.
A concern for Mancini will be the lack of talisman that Belgium possesses in Lukaku. As one of the chief tormentors in Serie A for Lazio, Ciro Immobile, on paper, has all the credentials in club football to take that next step onto the international stage for the country.
Whilst it hasn’t been replicated yet at the tender age of 31, Immobile was unfortunate not to have grabbed one of the goals of the tournament in seeing his 30-yard strike from distance ricochet off the Austrian upright.
However, the form of Leonardo Spinnazola, Lorenzo Insigne and Chiesa will provide Belgium with more than enough to think about. Italy has a golden opportunity to cement its national status this evening.
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