Albania shocked with the quickest objective in Euro historical past, however it did not rating towards the Italians both

Solely 22 seconds had handed within the match, when Nedim Bajrami pounced on a botched Italian throw-in and located the Italian objective, thus gaining an surprising lead for Albania, who’re collaborating of their second European Championship. Nevertheless, the title defenders weren’t embarrassed, by means of Bastoni and Barella, they transformed in 1 / 4 of an hour, which set the ultimate outcome.

European Championship, Spherical 1, Group B:

Dortmund, 60,512 spectators, v.: Zwayer (German)

scorers: Bastoni (eleventh), Barella (sixteenth) and Bajrami (1st)

yellow card: Pellegrini (twenty first), Calafiori (51st), and Broja (52nd), Hoxha (seventy fifth)

Olaszország: Donnarumma – Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori, Dimarco (Darmian, 83.) – Jorginho, Barella (Folorunsho, 92.) – Chiesa (Cambiaso, 77.), Frattesi, Pellegrini (Critante, 77.) – Scamacca (Retegui , 83.)

Albania: Strakosha – Hysaj, Arjeti, Djimsiti, Mitaj – Asllani, Ramadani, Bajrami (Muci, 87.) – Seferi (Laci, 68.), Asani (Hoxha, 68.), Broja (Manaj, 77.)

1st minute: Bajrami pounced on a botched Italian throw-in on the 16-yard line, then fired into the quick higher nook from the correct facet (0-1).

eleventh minute: after a small nook, Bastoni headed Pellegrini’s move into the middle of the objective from two meters away (1-1).

sixteenth minute: Barella bombed a bouncing ball from 17 meters into the correct facet of the objective from half peak (2-1).

The match, which guarantees to be one of many smoothest of the European Championship, began with an enormous shock, as Bajrami gave the Albanians, who have been solely fielding legionnaires, a bonus within the twenty second second. It was the quickest objective within the historical past of the European Championship, the highest since 2004 was held by Russian Dmitri Kirichenko with 67 seconds. Captain Luciano Spalletti’s crew rapidly rallied and turned the rating round in 1 / 4 of an hour. Within the continuation, the overwhelming superiority of the defending champion Squadra Azzurra remained, Frattesi hit the put up, on the opposite facet, the counterattacks of the Brazilian Sylvinho’s college students barely obtained previous the midway line.

After a half-time change, the tempo dropped a bit, however the Italians, who have been of their eleventh European Championship, continued to manage the sport. From the center of the second half, the blues principally tried to maintain the ball, at which level there have been occasional assaults, and the Albanian crew, collaborating in its second European Championship, was fully innocent to the objective. The equalizer might have come within the first half, however Donnarumma saved his crew from a objective with an ideal save.

Within the second spherical, on Wednesday, the Albanians will conflict with the Croatians, who have been additionally underdogs within the opening spherical, and on Thursday, the Italians will play towards the Spaniards within the blockbuster match of Group B.