Italy – Austria: The torments of the Italians. The substitutes saved the quarter-final. Euro 2020

• The Italian national team – after a great group stage – was a definite favorite of this quarter-finals
• However, the Austrians hung the bar very high from the very first minute, the Italians had problems with creating clear situations
• Italians needed an additional 30 minutes to win, which was the most exciting part of the match
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The European Championship has entered its decisive phase. In the second match of the 1/8 final, the Italians, who easily won group A, took up Austria, second in group C. The team led by Roberto Mancini delighted outside fans. Italia, unbeaten from many games, is nothing like the team from the past. She went to a different, higher level, and after the group stage, became one of the favorites to win the entire tournament.

Austria, on the other hand, is a team that advanced to the 1/8 finals in the last match. Franco Foda’s players defeated Ukraine 1-0, thanks to which they jumped over our neighbors in the table. However, the Austrians are not in an outstanding disposition. Therefore, the favorites were the Italians, who from the first minute of this Euro look simply delicious.

Austria entered the match better, carrying out a dangerous action on the left side of the field. After a while, Marko Arnautović saw the yellow card, thanks to which he went down in the history of the European Championship. Few of the players were reprimanded so quickly.

The first 15 minutes of the game were played very slowly. Neither team dominated the opponent. Nobody was able to impose their style of play, create a favorable situation. However, as time passed, the charges of Roberto Mancini began to gain voice more and more. In the 17th minute, Daniel Bachmann tried to surprise Nicolo Barella with a shot from outside the penalty area, but the Austrian goalkeeper showed good reflexes and saved his team from conceding a goal.

Squadra Azzurra was pushing forward and was getting closer to the first hit of this match. At the beginning of the third quarter of the game, Ciro Immobile was close to scoring. The Lazio striker had mastered the ball well, tried it on and hit the post. A few centimeters and there would be a goal. The goalkeeper didn’t even react.

The beginning of the second half started similar to the first. It was Franco Fody’s players who started with the attacks. In the 49th minute the Austrians had a free kick close to the penalty area. David Alaba decided on a direct shot. The new Real Madrid defender made a minimal shot. It was the first and not the last warning to the Italian goalkeeper.

A moment later, they fired another shot towards Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal, and in the 65th minute Marko Arnautović directed the ball into the net. A sensation at Wembley! Italians were shocked, but fortunately VAR intervened and rightly did not recognize this goal. The Austrian striker was adjudged to be in an offside position. Roberto Mancini’s players should have lit a red light, but it probably didn’t.

A few minutes later Franco Fody’s players were again in the penalty area of ​​the Italian national team. They played boldly, without complexes and the Italians were pushed to the defensive for the first time in this tournament. Desperate at times. The Austrians did not give up, they sensed that their opponents did not have a good disposal on that day.

In the last minutes of the game, the formal hosts managed to push their opponents away from their own penalty area. The changes made by Roberto Mancini allowed him to take the initiative, create several situations, but it did not result in a goal. Extra time took place for the first time during this European Championship.

The extra game time is dominated by Italians. They had more of the game, although the Austrians were still dangerous and able to threaten the opponents’ goal. In the first half of extra time, Squadra Azzurra players made two successful actions. First, in the 95th minute, Federico Chiesa took control of the ball in the penalty area, although with minor problems, he moved the defender and defeated Daniel Bachmann with a shot towards the far post.

In the 115th minute, the Austrian goalkeeper was defeated by Matteo Pessina, who was replaced by Nicolo Barelle in the 67th minute. It seemed that nothing could happen in this match. Suddenly, Louis Schaub approached the corner kick and perfectly crossed Sasha Kalajdzic’s head and it got nervous, but the result lasted until the end of the match.

In the quarter-finals, the next rival of the Italian team will be the winner of the Belgium – Portugal match. The meeting will be held on July 2 at 21:00.

Italy – Austria 2: 1 (0: 0) after extra time

Goals: Federico Chiesa (95), Matteo Pessina (105) – Sasa Kalajdzic (114)

Yellow cards: Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Nicolo Barella – Marko Arnautović

Judge: Anthony Taylor (Anglia)

Italy: Gianluigi Donnarumma – Leonardo Spinazzola, Francesco Acerbi, Leonardo Bonucci, Giovanni Di Lorenzo – Marco Verratti (67. Manuel Locatelli), Jorginho, Nicolo Barella (67. Matteo Pessina) – Lorenzo Insigne (108. Bryan Cristante), Ciro Immobile (84. Andrea Belotti), Domenico Berardi (84. Federico Chiesa)

Austria: Daniel Bachmann – David Alaba, Martin Hinteregger, Aleksandar Dragovic, Stefan Lainer (114th Christopher Trimmel) – Xaver Schlager (108th Michael Gregoritsch), Florian Grillitsch (108th Louis Schaub), Konrad Laimer (114th Stefan Ilsanker), Marcel Sabitzer , Christoph Baumgartner (90th Alessandro Schoepf) – Marko Arnautović (97th Sasa Kalajdzic)