Euro 2024: Bastoni and Barella recover Albania, winning debut for Spalletti’s Italy
Italy begins the defense of the European title won three years ago at Wembley with a 2-1 comeback success. At the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund the Azzurri beat Albania thanks to goals from Bastoni in the 11th minute and Barella in the 16th minute, who responded to Bajrami’s sprint goal after just 23 seconds. High level performance from Spalletti’s boys who did well to turn around a match that started on an uphill climb by dominating the match well beyond the final score, even if in the 90th minute they had Donnarumma to thank for his decisive defeat of Manaj.
Nightmare start for the Azzurri who fell behind after 23 seconds. Completely incorrect throw-in by Dimarco, Bajrami takes advantage of it and wins the ball in the penalty area and beats Donnarumma with a shot under the crossbar. It is the fastest goal in the history of the European Championships.
The Azzurri responded immediately with a conclusion by Scamacca from the center of the area following an assist from Chiesa: the ball was out. At 11′ the blue equalizer arrives: from the development of a corner taken from the left, Pellegrini hits the far post for Bastoni who heads past Strakosha. In the 16th minute Italy completes the comeback. Insistent action by the Azzurri with a ball that enters the area, Dimarco passes it to Barella who collects it at the edge and shoots with first intention, beating Strakosha again. It is the tenth strike in the blue shirt for the Inter midfielder. At 21′ the first yellow card of the match: Pellegrini stops Broja’s counterattack for a foul and Zwayer gets a yellow card. Italy is in control of the pitch and Frattesi comes close to scoring a hat-trick in the 32nd minute: a beautiful ball from Scamacca for the Nerazzurri midfielder who tries to beat Strakosha with a shot underneath: the former Lazio goalkeeper touches and deflects it onto the post. In the 40th minute a chance for Scamacca who, on an assist from Pellegrini, goes to shoot from inside the area with Strakosha who closes the mirror and saves him. In the 44th minute Albania shows up again with a left-footed shot from Asani that ends wide. In injury time, a dangerous incursion by Pellegrini who, following a cross from Chiesa, tries a complicated header with the ball ending up wide.
The second half begins with a double yellow card for Broja and Calafiori. The blue player is unfairly punished for a foul on the Chelsea striker which the Bologna defender actually suffers. Another chance for Italy, great recovery by Scamacca, ball to Chiesa, left-footed conclusion and the ball just wide. In the 22nd minute the Azzurri were still dangerous from the development of a corner, Di Lorenzo tries with a header, the ball deflected into a corner again. In the 24th minute, a timid attempt by Albania, with Donnarumma’s punch coming out, Asllani tries the shot, the ball is hit badly and ends up on the bottom. In the 32nd minute Spalletti’s first substitutions: Cristante and Cambiaso come on, Pellegrini and Chiesa come out.
In the 35th minute, individual action by Dimarco who goes with the ball and then attempts a shot with Strakosha who saves in two stages. After two minutes Retegui and Darmian enter, Scamacca and Dimarco exit. In the final minutes tiredness is felt with the Azzurri who are less precise and Albania almost equalized in the 45th minute with Manaj finding himself alone in front of Donnarumma, who manages to deflect just enough to avoid the goal. In the first minute of injury time the last substitution with Folorunsho replacing Barella. Before the final whistle the match had to be interrupted for a few seconds due to the invasion of the pitch by an Albanian fan, tackled with some difficulty by the stewards.
ITALY – ALBANIA 2-1 (1′ Bajrami, 11′ Bastoni, 16′ Barella)
ITALY (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Calafiori, Bastoni, Dimarco (82′ Darmian); Barella (90’+1 Folorunsho), Jorginho; Chiesa (76′ Cambiaso), Frattesi, Pellegrini (76′ Cristante); Scamacca (82′ Retegui). Available: Vicario, Meret, Mancini, Buongiorno, Gatti, Bellanova, Fagioli, Zaccagni, El Shaarawy, Raspadori Coach: Spalletti.
ALBANIA (4-3-3): Strakosha; Hysaj, Djimsiti, Ajeti, Mitaj; Asllani, Ramadani, Bajrami (86′ Muci); Asani (68′ Hoxha), Broja (76′ Manaj), Seferi (68′ Laci). Available: Kastrati, Berisha, Balliu, Ismajli, Mihaj, Kumbulla, Aliji, Gjasula, Abrashi, M.Berisha, Daku. Coach: Sylvinho.
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany); Assistants: Achmuller (Germany) and Lupp (Germany); 4th officer: Siebert (Germany); VAR: Dingert (Germany) and Dieperink (Holland).
Booked: Pellegrini (I), Calafiori (I), Broja (A), Hoxha (A)
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