Italy win thrilling penalty shootout against Spain to reach Euro 2020 final

[ad_1]

Federico Chiesa’s superb volleying effort gave Italy the lead after the hour, before substitute Alvaro Morata finished off superb passes to equalize Spain with just 10 minutes of regulation time.

With neither team able to score the winning goal in extra time, the confrontation moved to a penalty shoot-out as Jorginho scored the decisive penalty after Morata failed to send Italy to their first major international final since Euro 2012.

Coach Roberto Mancini has led a remarkable turnaround for Italy, which failed even to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Italy kicked off Euro 2020 finals on June 11 with a 3-0 win over Turkey and emerged as a surprise contender to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy after some impressive displays – this current group of players is now just one match away from winning only the country’s second European Championship and the first in a year 1968.

Whichever team he faces in Sunday’s final – whether England or Demark, who both face on Wednesday – few will bet against the Italians.

semi-final surprise

Under the leadership of Mancini, who was once again resplendent in a cute Armani suit, Italy deviated dramatically from the organized and gritty defensive style that has come to define the Azzurri over the years.

Certainly some of these elements remain, most notably in the leadership of veteran defense duo Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, but Euro 2020 has seen Italy adopt a more flexible and aggressive attacking style.

Unfortunately, one of the key elements of the team’s success so far, Leonardo Spinazzola, will be out for several months after sustaining an Achilles tendon injury in the quarter-final win over Belgium.

On the contrary, Spain started the tournament in a relatively impressive fashion, only managing to draw with both Sweden and Poland. While Luis Enrique’s side certainly dominated those games, his extravagance in front of goal meant possession-based football lacked the latest technology.

That all changed in the third group stage match against Slovakia, where a stunning goal from goalkeeper Martin Dubravka opened the door wide, and Spain went on to score 10 goals in just two matches.

Tuesday’s semi-final match between the two sides was the first time Wembley was able to host up to 60,000 fans – up from 45,000 in previous knockout rounds – as the UK government allowed a capacity increase before restrictions were lifted.

It’s been over a year since a stadium in the UK welcomed a crowd of this size and both groups of fans were audibly enjoying the opportunity to support their teams in great numbers.

Had you closed your eyes for 90 seconds while the Italian national anthem was playing, you would have considered yourself back at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, where Italy played its three group stage matches.

And while Spain’s silent national anthem didn’t bring the same level of noise from the sea of ​​red shirts at the opposite end of the field, their fans were undoubtedly louder than the two once the match kicked off.

When some English fans – seated at the top of Wembley Stadium – began singing “She’s Coming Home”, Spanish and Italian fans united in boos to drown them out immediately.

Once Italy began gaining a foothold in the competition, Spanish fans responded with cries of ‘Olé’ every time the team made a pass during the next possession period, jubilant after Ferran Torres presented a specially arranged skill.

The move eventually ended with Pedri finding Dani Olmo, who fired his blocked shot and cleverly befriended Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, although perhaps the Spain striker should do better – something that has become a common phrase at Euro 2020.

Spain were certainly the team to improve significantly as the half went on, but Mikel Oyarzabal likely missed his team’s best chance, as the flames flared high over the bar and deep into the lower bowl of Wembley after being picked up by Jordi Alba.

The first half of the tide was intriguing, as neither party was able to exert any meaningful period of dominance.

On a strange occasion, an Italian player managed to get behind the Spanish defense or find a small space, quickly choked with a number of white shirts.

When Mancini’s side finally formed a chance, Emerson could only find the outside of the woodwork from a tight angle, though Unai Simon’s outstretched hand was probably more casual than the shot was worth.

sexy finish

After a quiet opening in the second half, the game rebounded as the two teams traded rapid-fire chances.

First, Sergio Busquets completely unmarked should have done better after Oyarzabal found him on the edge of the area, but he was able to send his shot just inches over the bar, before Chiesa saved the ball from Simon on the other. End.

However, only moments later, it was Chiesa who finally found the hack.

Italy’s quick counterattack, initiated by Donnarumma’s quick thinking, looked like it was squashed by Aymeric Laporte, but Chiesa responded much faster than Spain’s sluggish defense to pick up the ball and put in a superb effort into the far corner.

Wembley Stadium erupted, and for the first time throughout the evening it was clear how many Italian fans had landed in this part of London.

Spain responded well, elicited by cries of “si se puede” – “yes you can” – from its supporters, except for Oyarzabal and Olmo who could not put their efforts off the post when they were well centered.

Simon was then thanking Spain for keeping them in the game, as the goalkeeper quickly came out to stifle substitute Domenico Berardi’s effort.

However, Spain soon got the equalizer they deserved.

Another superb passing move was capitalized on this time around, as Morata – who had been so bad at times during this competition – and Olmo played a superb pass, the former collecting the return pass in his stride superbly, before firing coolly into the bottom corner.

With neither team able to score the winning goal, the confrontation will take extra time, meaning that each knockout match played by Spain will take 120 minutes.

At this late stage, there were certainly no signs of nerves holding back these teams’ return.

Spain fans in particular sensed that this confrontation might exist, and they almost had another goal to cheer just minutes into the first overtime period.

Gerard Moreno’s sinister free kick was escalated off target by Donnarumma and Marcos Llorente only managed to pass the ball off the post after some pinball in the penalty area.

Italy’s supporters calmed down amid nervous silence with their team now at the back foot, while a small section of Spain fans at the other end of the pitch began an impromptu “Macarena” performance.

The Italians had reason to celebrate momentarily, believing that Berardi had found a late winner, only to disallow the goal for offside.

While tossing the coin to decide which penalty shootout would take place, Chiellini laughed as he jokingly tried to persuade his counterpart Jordi Alba to allow the penalties to be imposed in front of the Italian fans.

Alba remained rocky, even when beaming Chiellini held him in a bear hug. Donnarumma and Simon also hugged before the shootout began.

After Manuel Locatelli and Olmo traded defeats with their team’s first kicks, all of the next five penalties were scored before Morata saw his poor effort saved by Donnarumma.

Jorginho stepped up, and calmly took his trademark slight stutter to send Simon the wrong way and rolled the ball into the corner.

The block of blue jerseys rose behind the goal as thousands of fans came forward to celebrate with their champion.

Reaching the final may have been something not even the most enthusiastic Italian fans could confidently expect ahead of the tournament, but winning the entire title now looks like a very realistic possibility.

.

[ad_2]