Italy recover from disastrous start to win Euro 2024 opener
Italy recovered from conceding the fastest goal in the competition's history to get their defence of the European Championship title off to a winning start on Saturday as they came back to beat Albania 2-1 in front of a partisan crowd.
Nedim Bajrami stunned the Italians and delighted a huge
Albanian support in Dortmund as he smashed in the opener after just 23 seconds,
his strike pulverising the previous record for the quickest goal at the Euros
of 67 seconds by Dmitri Kirichenko of Russia in 2004.
Yet Italy's response to falling behind was quick too, as
Alessandro Bastoni headed the Azzurri level on 11 minutes and Nicolo Barella's
glorious effort put them ahead just past the quarter-hour mark.
From then on Luciano Spalletti's team looked much more
assured, although they really should have won by a greater margin rather than
face an anxious finale as Albania pushed for an equaliser.
Their performance -– the first 23 seconds apart -– was
largely encouraging before an enticing showdown with fellow heavyweights Spain
in nearby Gelsenkirchen next Thursday.
Whatever happens in that match, Italy are already
well-placed to advance to the knockout phase of Euro 2024 from Group B, in
which Spain defeated Croatia 3-0 earlier on Saturday in Berlin.
Italy are in some ways an unknown quantity coming into this
tournament, with the reigning champions having also missed the last two World
Cups and failed to fully convince during qualifying.
Only five of Italy's line-up at kick-off here started the
final of the last Euros three years ago, with a new-look team featuring Bologna
centre-back Riccardo Calafiori winning just his third cap.
Albania, though, are appearing at just their second major
tournament having also gone to Euro 2016.
The novelty of the experience for them helps explain why the
home of Borussia Dortmund was a sea of excitable Albanian fans decked in red
and black who made up the vast majority of the crowd.
They could hardly believe it when their team, coached by the
Brazilian former Arsenal and Barcelona left-back Sylvinho, opened the scoring
almost straight from kick-off.
Italy's Federico Dimarco took a throw from the left-back
position but played it loosely back into his own box. Bastoni was caught on the
back foot, and Bajrami –- who plays in Italy for Sassuolo -- pounced to control
and fire past Gianluigi Donnarumma at the goalkeeper's near post.
It was a similar start to Italy's last European Championship
match, when Luke Shaw put England ahead inside two minutes in the final at
Wembley in 2021 before the Azzurri came back to win on penalties.
This time they drew level when Dimarco and Lorenzo
Pellegrini played a short corner routine on the left before the latter crossed
for Inter Milan centre-back Bastoni to head in at the back post.
Italy had regained their composure and soon went in front on
16 minutes, a Jasir Asani clearance dropping straight to another Inter player
in Barella, who made the cleanest of contacts at the edge of the area to send a
first-time shot past goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.
They should have added to their lead before the interval,
with Davide Frattesi hitting the post after meeting a lovely reverse pass by
Gianluca Scamacca in the box.
Scamacca was then denied by Strakosha, while Fedrico Chiesa
curled a shot just wide on the hour mark.
Italy then sat back, but Albania did not manage another
attempt on target and the second-lowest ranked nation in the competition could
not find an equaliser despite their best efforts late on.
Substitute Rey Manaj came closest after getting in behind in
the 90th minute, but he could not beat Donnarumma.
Want to send us a story? SMS to 25170 or WhatsApp 0743570000 or Submit on Citizen Digital or email wananchi@royalmedia.co.ke
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a Comment