Italy is still there. Five days after the painful elimination from the World Cup, the Azzurri European champions win in Turkey (3-2), in the most useless and expiatory of friendlies, making people understand at least two things. The first: Raspadori (two goals) is a striker to bet on immediately. The second: with Tonali instead of Barella, against North Macedonia we would have had one more man and not one less. But complain, now, is useless. We had to think about it first and, for sure, play a more intense game, less dribble, with more pressing and determination in front of goal.
Now, just to be clear, it is not that the formation lined up last night against the Turks would certainly have led us to the final against Portugal, but we would certainly have seen a superior combativeness, less sufficiency, a freshness to be appreciated, a vivacity perhaps winning. . However, as they say in Naples, what has been done. Errors must be identified calmly, corrected and, if possible, no longer repeated. Of course, the team fielded in Turkey will hardly be replicated in its entirety, especially when they return Spinazzola e churchma Biraghi was more convincing than Emerson Palmieri and Raspadori knows how to do well both the central striker, albeit occasionally, and the winger. The department that he convinced the least was the defense. Evil Acerbi, out of position and out of phase, not very well captain Chiellini (he didn’t finish on Under’s goal), anodino De Sciglio, disastrous, at least on two occasions, Donnarumma.
At 1-0 (4 ‘) he let himself be surprised by Under’s breathless shot, letting the ball pass between his legs (and Under finished with the right, not with his natural foot which is the left). Then (41 ‘) he turned a comfortable postponement into a suicide attempt by hitting Unal in the face with the door practically wide open. On the contrary, the goalkeeper returned to being decisive, with three major deflections: a long shot (46 ‘) and a free kick (50’) by Calhanoglu, a smanacciata (85 ‘) on a header by Seldar Dursun ( entered in the 62nd minute for Akturkoglu), left free to put the ball under the crossbar by the hapless Acerbi. Unfortunately, in between (82 ‘), there was another half uncertainty. Donnarumma, who became captain for Chiellini’s exit, did not appear decisive in the exit on the ball that, with his head, Sonyuncu extended Dursun as usual, robbing in stealing the time from the blue number 21. The feeling is that Donnarumma is (almost) always reliable between the posts and much less in the exits or in the easy saves. Superficiality? Presumption? Little mindfulness? Difficult, if not impossible, to make diagnoses. The point is that he hasn’t been the best goalkeeper in Europe for a long time.
Fortunately for Italy, Donnarumma’s errors were remedied, in sequence, Cristante who equalized (35 ‘), on a free kick won by Biraghi, who then transformed it into an arched cross. Breakers (38 ‘), very good at exploiting a vertical ball, the result of an intelligent advance by Tonali, to beat Bayndir with his left. It’s still Breakers (69 ‘), who optimized a cross from Zaccagni (who entered the interval in place of Zaniolo), corrected towards the center by the usual Biraghi (two assists out of three).
About Zaniolo, was deployed on the right, in the trident, with Scamacca and Raspadori. The intent was to get him back on the left to go to the shot. Sometimes he has succeeded, but with an imprecision equal to his deterioration of form. Zaniolo does not jump the man, he marginalizes nearby in the line, it is obvious and also not very precise in the passages. Much better Scamacca who, despite not finding the goal, moved profitably for the benefit of his teammates, defended the ball and often went to the powerful conclusion. He still lacks accuracy, but his low-ball combinations were appreciated by the coach
Roberto Mancini wanted to win for many reasons. So, thirteen minutes from the end, he inserted Bastoni for Chiellini, Locatelli for Cristante and Sensi for Pessina. In the 87th minute he threw Belotti into the fray for Scamacca and in the 89th minute, with Turkey revived by the second goal, he finished with a five-man defense and Bonucci in place of Raspadori. Winning served many things. Give a signal immediately. Reconcile, even if very partially, the Italians with their national team. To demonstrate that the defeat against Macedonia, however definitive, was only an accident. Reiterate to the coach himself and his players old and new that the European champions have not lost their title and honor due to a couple of missed penalties and a rogue night. The regrets will remain forever, but we must continue. Seeing a competitive and winning Italy again will be hard (and long), but this is the job to do. Hoping to be even better than a summer ago.
THE TABLE
Turkey Italy 2-3 (1-2)
Markers: 5 ′ Under (T), 35 ′ Cristante (I), 39 ′ Raspadori (I), 70 ′ Raspadori (I), 83 ′ Dursun (T)
Turkey (3-4-2-1): It is a dealer; Kabak (9′ Ayhan), Demiral, Soyuncu; Muldur, Tokoz (62′ Ozcan), Calhanoglu (77′ from Antalya), R. Yilmaz (62′ Dursun); Cengiz Under, Akturkoglu (62′ Kutlu); E. Unal (77′ Steel)
A disp. Erkin, Cakir, Bozok, Kokcu, Bolat
Ct. Kuntz.
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma; De Sciglio, Acerbi, Chiellini (76 ′ Sticks), Biraghi; Pessina (76 ′ Senses), Cristante (76 ′ Locatelli), Tonali; Zaniolo (46 ′ Zaccagni), Scamacca (87 ′ Belotti), Raspadori (89 ′ Bonucci).
A disp. Barella, Emerson, Pellegrini, Sirigu, Gollini, Joao Pedro
Ct. Mancini.
Referee: Enea Jorgji
Ammonites: 45 ‘+ 1 ′ Zaniolo, 86 ′ Muldur
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