If Italy win their next match against Switzerland, they will be able to secure their knockout round qualification while having a game in hand. However, it might not be as easy as it sounds.
Italy began their European Championship run with a spectacular 3-0 win over Turkey. The Euro 2020 curtain-raiser saw the Italian side being utterly dominant and ruthless and there’s considerable excitement and buzz regarding the team. Their defence has been rock solid – Italy have kept clean sheets in each of their last nine matches – and the flair on offer in attack has managed to attract attention.
Turkey had a more than decent qualifying campaign and were well-fancied at the start of the European Championship. However, Italy’s trio of Immobile, Insigne and Berardi looked really impressive in the first match. Immobile and Insigne even got on the scoresheet in the match.
Italy are unbeaten in their last 28 matches under Robert Mancini. They will be the absolute favourites in the next match against Switzerland and Mancini appeared to be satisfied by his side’s performance in Rome in the first match. He will be hoping for something similar in the second game but insists that the tournament is long and anything could happen.
“It was important to start well here in Rome and I think we satisfied everyone, for the fans and all the Italians watching. (But) there are six games to go and there are a lot of good teams,” Mancini said after the Turkey win.
“We knew there was a bit more pressure than there usually is, so I’m delighted with the performance. We’re delighted to have put a smile on the faces of all the Italians who watched the game.”
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s boss Vladimir Petkovic is all too familiar with the Stadio Olimpico in Rome which will be the venue for the second match against Italy. Before taking on his current role as head coach of the Swiss team in 2014, Petkovic managed Italian side for one and a half seasons and even won the Coppa Italia with them.
“Returning to Rome, a wonderful city in which I lived a very important part of my career, is always nice,” Petkovic told Gazzetta dello Sport last week.
“I am linked both to that city and to that stadium, in which I won a historic cup for Roman and Italian football, and of particular importance for the Lazio fans.”
Switzerland managed a 1-1 stalemate against Wales in their opening Euro 2020 fixture.
