Rome – Spain is the second finalist of the Nations League, thanks to the last minute victory against Italy. At the De Grolsch Veste stadium in Enschede, Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri were beaten 2-1 in the 88th minute by Joselu’s goal, after a back and forth between Jeremy Pino and Ciro Immobile at the start, the latter scoring from a penalty kick. Luis De La Fuente’s Red Furies therefore manage to snatch the pass for Sunday’s final against Croatia, while Italy has to settle only for the final for third place against the Netherlands, beaten 4-2 in extra time yesterday by the Croatian national team.
“In the end I think Spain deserved to win, even if the late goal conceded is a joke for us,” he commented. Robert Mancini – We played a different game compared to our characteristics, but the boys put everything on the pitch. Few things came out in the second half, there are things we regret, but now we have to honor the final for third place, interpret it in the right way and do well”.
The match
Not even four minutes pass from the kick-off and the Spaniards unlock immediately thanks to Yeremy Pino, who takes advantage of an incredible mistake by Bonucci and signs the immediate 1-0 by beating Donnarumma. However, the reaction of the Azzurri was ready, and in the 10th minute they won a penalty kick with Zaniolo, who kicked into the area finding Le Normand’s wide arm: the referee whistled the penalty and Immobile transforms it into the 1-1 goal.
In the 22nd minute Mancini’s team would also find the goal to overturn the result, but Frattesi’s goal was thwarted by his own millimetric offside position following Jorginho’s vertical pass. Close to the half hour, the Red Furies dangerously show up again with a poisonous shot from Morata saved by Donnarumma, while in the final part of the fraction Italy scares Unai Simon with a shot from outside Toloi that ends just high.
At the start of shooting Spain has a sensational double chance for the new advantage: Merino is blocked from a stone’s throw away from Donnarumma, then Morata tries to turn around in the small area by narrowly widening. A few moments later Rodri tries acrobatically by kicking high, then the Azzurri respond in the 65th minute by creating a great goal with Frattesi, who kicks with a sure blow from Zaniolo’s low cross finding a great reflex from the goalkeeper.
As the minutes go by, the rhythms drop and the emotions diminish, but just when they were about to savor extra time, Italy’s prank arrives: in the 88th minute, De La Fuente’s team signs the decisive 2-1 thanks to the new entered Joseluwho shoots in from close range after a long shot by Rodri deflected by the defence.
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