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Italy confirmed their status as the official new kids on the block of the international stage as they set Munich alight with a resounding 2-1 win over the number one world-ranked Belgium.
First-half goals from Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Insigne were enough to seal the win. This sends The Azzurri to Wembley on Tuesday evening with Spain now standing between them and the final of the European Championships.
Sadly for the Italians, their evening did come at a cost, with the impressive Leonardo Spinazzola sustaining an injury that will keep him out of the rest of the tournament, but their momentum continues to grow.
With Giorgio Chiellini returning at the back next to Leonardo Bonucci, it felt from the early moments that the athleticism of Romelu Lakaku was potentially going to make it a long evening for The Azzurri’s elderly statesman.
Within the opening five minutes, the Belgian’s look to have adopted a more direct approach with balls over the top and into the channels threatening to expose the Italian’s lack of pace at the back.
However, once settled into their rhythm, following some early nerves and uncharacteristic surrendering of possession, the midfield of Jorginho, Barella and Marco Verratti slowly but surely got them moving up the pitch. Once Belgium had conceded ground, Italy was in no mood to let them escape without a fight.
Like a Boa Constrictor, Italy’s midfield slowly strangled the opposition with their ball retention. Jorginho boasted a 99% pass completion record, Verratti not far behind on 94% and Barella on 87%.
They say possession is nine-tenths of the law, and on last night’s evidence, Italy had exactly what it took to not only defeat the number one ranked team in the world but at one point were even threatening to play them off the park before Lukaku’s penalty.
Their opening goal was symptomatic of Mancini’s Italy. As Verratti immediately seized upon Jan Vertonghen’s pass from out of defence, his short pass fizzed into the feet of Nicolo Barella and what came next was a moment of pure brilliance from Inter Milan’s playmaker.
With two Belgian defenders in close attention, Barella beautifully pivoted from one foot to the next, taking the ball with him to manoeuvre enough space to fire past Thibaut Courtois in emphatic fashion.
If people were already starting to notice the 24-year old’s ability and true impact on a game, the goal was sheer devastation and a hammer blow to Belgium and from that point on, their defence looked shell-shocked.
If their first goal was good, Lorenzo Insigne’s second was one of the tournament’s goals so far. Picking the ball up just inside his own half on an Italian counter, the Napoli forward drove infield from the left-hand side.
Without any Belgian pressure, he had time to curl the ball beautifully past Courtois from the edge of the box for Italy’s decisive second goal.
With Eden Hazard missing, 19-year-old Jérémy Doku from Rennes stepped into the wide midfield role, and the youngster had a fantastic evening despite finishing the evening on the losing side.
Each time the ball came to the winger, Doku appeared turbocharged with his nimble feet and low centre of gravity, giving Giovanni Di Lorenzo a major headache on numerous occasions. The Napoli full-back will have been glad to see the back of Doku upon the final whistle.
The youngster almost single-handedly dragged Belgium back into the game, and just before the break, he grabbed a real lifeline at the point where Italy was playing their best football of the tournament and threatening to run away with the game.
Only moments before Italy had gone 2-0 up on the night, the no fear factor of Doku instantaneously kicked in, winning a penalty that had to be checked by VAR, but having got on the wrong side of Di Lorenzo at such pace, any touch from the Italian was always going to risk paying a high price.
For Roberto Martinez and his men, it was just the lifeline they needed as Lukaku swept home his penalty, sending Gianluigi Donarrumma the wrong way.
For any nerves that the Italian’s may have suffered as a result, they brushed any doubts aside as they started the second period in the same vein of pressing high up the pitch and going for the jugular.
Within 10 minutes of the restart, Federico Chiesa had already fired wide from a good opportunity on the edge of the box following brightwork from Insigne and Verratti. If it wasn’t for a poor touch from Ciro Immobile, he could have had the perfect opportunity to put Belgium to the sword following Barella’s superb cross from the right.
Just before the hour mark, chants of ‘Olé’ cried out at the Allianz Arena as Italy’s one-two touch passing left Belgium as frustrated spectators.
Inevitably though, the quality of this Belgium side was always going to get opportunities, and both Kevin De Bruyne and Doku continued to probe and find a chink in the backline of Bonucci and Chiellini.
Only Lukaku will know how he fluffed a glorious opportunity from close range to bring the tie level, but the quick thinking of Spinazzola to position himself in line with the ball was enough to rescue Italy.
If he wasn’t defending, the marauding runs from the full-back almost finished the tie as Insigne’s beautifully flighted ball found him bearing down on goal. Still, he couldn’t quite connect, half-volleying just wide with Courtois grounded.
Just 10 minutes later, Spinazzola’s evening and the tournament were brutally brought to a halt. Following another awe-inspiring performance from the Roma full-back, he appeared to slip in the 75th minute as he embarked on yet another run from deep, but having pulled up, he immediately signalled to the bench that a substitute would be needed.
The early prognosis was that Spinazzola had suffered a serious Achilles injury. He must have felt a delayed reaction to the pain as the 28-year-old momentarily did not seem to feel the full extent. Only when Bryan Cristante urged Spinazzola to lie down, it dawned on him that it would be the end of his tournament.
To see a player inconsolable as he was stretchered off the pitch was not a fitting way to end such a remarkable performance and rough luck on one of the players of Euro 2020.
“We all know how it went but our blue dream continues and with this great group nothing is impossible. I can only tell you that I will return soon! I am sure!” – Leonardo Spinazzola
The impact on Roberto Mancini’s men will also hit home once the euphoria of last night’s win is digested and eyes focus firmly on Tuesday’s semi-final. The news will also come as a blow to newly appointed Roma boss Jose Mourinho who had only arrived in the city on the day of the quarter-final tie.
Despite Doku almost scoring his own wonder goal as he skipped away from a number of Italian challenges before firing narrowly over the upright from 25 yards, both Chiellini and Bonnucci were colossal at the back, with Donarrumma behind them also in fantastic form.
The Azzurri left nothing out on the pitch as they continued to fight for every inch against Belgium as they pressed for an equalizer. For Roberto Martinez’s men, their reputation remains superficial as the world’s best side. Italy had done precisely the opposite, cometh the occasion, cometh the man.
As the staff and players got into their full-time huddle, the former Manchester City boss demanded that there were two more games to go, which was greeted by a roar from the squad, with some players dispersing into the stands to enjoy the travelling fans elation.
“This group is extraordinary, we deserve this and now we’ll play the semi-final, as we slowly approach our objective.
“I always try to help the team, I’m emotional as this is my first major tournament and I wanted to progress as much as possible with the Italy jersey. I hope to make everyone’s dream come true.
“This Italy is extraordinary and we can fight it out with anyone.” – Gianluigi Donarrumma
If there were doubters before that this Italian side were yet to play anybody of note in their now 32 unbeaten game run, they have the attention not only of Europe but the rest of the world.
Without getting carried away, if Italy continues in this fashion and maintains their level of performance, they could well yet pull off one of the country’s greatest footballing triumphs.
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