In the week of the ATP Finals, Italian football can take inspiration from the talent and cold blood of Jannik Sinner to exploit the first of the two match points that will qualify for the Nations League quarter-finals tomorrow evening in Brussels. With Belgium, a draw is enough to get through the group and at that point Sunday’s match against France in Milan would only give away first place in the standings. Be careful though, because leaving the ‘King Baudouin’ stadium undefeated will not be easy. The Red Devils, who compared to the match a month ago will be able to count on Romelu Lukaku, are in fact playing their last chance of qualifying knowing they only have one result available.
“Doing well in these two races too – the words of Luciano Spalletti to Vivo Azzurro TV – would give us confirmation that we have brought home what we highlighted in previous matches: this continuity of behavior, of self-esteem regarding the qualities we have, of the belief in our potential and our strength. In this sense, these two results and the attitudes that we will develop become fundamental. Winning the group? We want to play good football and through the game be able to bring home the results.”
The coach only had two training sessions available before leaving for Brussels, but he is satisfied with the team’s work: “They were two wonderful days because I saw important things. By doing this role I saw what I like to see from footballers, I saw players convinced of the qualities they have, so we can’t wait to go and play these two matches which can give us a lot in the future.” In the press conference the coach announced the presence of Donnarumma from the first minute, although he was warned, he did not say too much about who will replace Ricci as director between Locatelli and Rovella (“whatever choice is made will be the correct one”) and confirmed the probable use on the Nicolò Barella’s attacking midfield: “We need a player who knows how to interpret that role well, link the midfield with the team’s counterattacks, know how to exchange positions with the others, who has offensive aptitude. Barella has all this, we expected him and it is likely that he will be on the field.”
Last October 10th in Rome it ended 2-2 between Italy and Belgium. A game with two faces, with the Azzurri leading 2-0 after 25 minutes and joined by Tedesco’s team after being left with ten men due to the expulsion of Lorenzo Pellegrini. “If I expect Belgium seen at the Olimpico? I expect to see the Italy seen at the Olimpico – underlined the coach – because I don’t know what they will be able to offer them, but if we are the ones I saw this morning and in the previous matches it will be difficult for anyone to play against this Italy”. Compared to last month’s match, Belgium will be able to count on Romelu Lukaku: “They will try to exploit his characteristics, we know that he is good at crosses from the back, at the ball on him. Preventive measures will be fundamental for us, the most difficult moment will be when we go to attack if they recover the ball for us.”
After the disappointment of the elimination in the round of 16 of the European Championship, few would have bet on Italy being undefeated and at the top of the group after the first four matches. However, Spalletti has never had any doubts about the potential of the team: “I always expect to be able to go and get very important things for the work I do because otherwise I would be the first to flatten the heads and the possibilities of these young players, who instead have to give us the opportunity to become a very strong national team once again.”
BARELLA’S RETURN. Four months after the defeat in Berlin against Switzerland, Spalletti can finally embrace Nicolò Barella again. “I missed the national team – admitted the Inter midfielder to the microphone of the FIGC OTT platform – here there are some companions with whom I have worked and stayed for many years, let’s say it is as if I had never left. I heard from someone and I have someone as a teammate: I thank them and congratulate them on the wonderful matches they played when I wasn’t there. My last call-up to the national team wasn’t easy, especially mentally and they demonstrated that they have great strength, which this team is capable of doing very well. I will try to get back in and give my contribution if the coach wants.”
In Belgium, Barella scored two of the ten goals scored for the national team, two decisive goals for the successes in the quarter-finals of EURO 2020 and in the final for 3rd place of the 2021 Nations League: “Today I was talking about it with my teammates, it was one of my favorite victims. However, every match has its own story, obviously if another goal and a good performance were to arrive I would be happy. But I repeat, the coach will make the choices, I will be ready at any time.” It is forbidden to underestimate an opponent who precedes Italy in the ranking and who has been in the elite of world football for years: “A difficult challenge awaits us, we must not be influenced by the first leg even if before the episode (the expulsion of Pellegrini, ed) had been a match dominated by Italy. But they are playing at home and they will also want to show how strong they are.”
THE MULTI-ROLE CAMBIASO. Always convincing both in the Juventus and national team shirts, Andrea Cambiaso is going through an extraordinary moment of form. It was he who broke the deadlock in Rome’s match against Belgium a month ago after just one minute: “Over time I am improving my ability to see the game first – he declared in the press conference after remembering the victims of the Heysel massacre – it is something that comes naturally to me.” Another quality of the Juventus defender is his flexibility: “All the players have to do more things on the pitch, today’s football demands it. I try to make myself useful for what the team needs and according to the opponents, I don’t have a favorite role. Obviously I have different characteristics based on the position, on the left I stay more on the line, while on the right I enter further into the field. But I’m just trying to make myself useful.”
THE LIST OF CALLED PEOPLE
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham);
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Pietro Comuzzo (Fiorentina), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Caleb Okoli (Leicester), Nicolò Savona (Juventus), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Nicolò Rovella (Lazio), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle);
Attackers: Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Daniel Maldini (Monza), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Atalanta).
Mediagallery
National A
Eve of Belgium-Italy: the Azzurri’s walk around at the King Baldovino stadium
