The Azzurrini were ultimately fortunate a 1-0 win over Germany was enough, but can be particularly suited to facing Spain.

Words: Tom Scholes

Italy needed something special to reach the European Under-21 Championship semi-final and that something was Denmark beating the Czech Republic. The Azzurrini were never going to beat this Germany 3-1, but on the face of that performance, their style might be more suited to facing Spain than any other side.

The Azzurrini were ultimately fortunate a 1-0 win over Germany was enough, but can be particularly suited to facing Spain.

Words: Tom Scholes

Italy needed something special to reach the European Under-21 Championship semi-final and that something was Denmark beating the Czech Republic. The Azzurrini were never going to beat this Germany 3-1, but on the face of that performance, their style might be more suited to facing Spain than any other side.

Luigi Di Biagio made a lot of changes for this must-win game, moving to a 4-4-2 from the 4-3-3 and bringing in Federico Chiesa for his first start of the tournament. Dropping Andrea Petagna wasn’t just because of his poor finishing, but the extra man in midfield allowed the Azzurri to press higher and commit a few more players forward in support of the front pairing of Domenico Berardi and Federico Bernardeschi.

The formation meant that the front two and Chiesa could roam across the top of the pitch, allowing Roberto Gagliardini, Marco Benassi and Lorenzo Pellegrini to break up play in the middle, moving the ball forward and allowing the team to play a more fluid brand of football. Not only that, but Pellegrini and Benassi occasionally did roam forward, getting a few shots in on goal.

The lack of a traditional centre-forward in this side meant that it was hard for the Germany back line to pick up the front three. With the trio moving around and rarely sticking to a position, it dragged out defenders and left gaps in behind.

Going forward, Italy used their pressing game as their biggest weapon. The pressure put on from Chiesa, Bernardeschi and Berardi forced the German defenders into a few mistakes, one of which resulting in the game’s only goal from Fiorentina’s Bernardeschi.

The 23-year-old was outstanding for Italy, providing the spark for a lot of good play. His pressing and flair added something different to this side, something that the Germans struggled to stop. His second half showing kept Italy ticking and nearly provided the assist of the tournament with a sensational flick to Andrea Conti, but that moment of magic was just a snippet of what he could do.

When comparing the performances against Germany and the Czech Republic, it’s clear this is the strongest side Di Biagio can field, and with this system he’s implemented, they click well. However, one major negative was the occasional lack of discipline from the players in vital moments.

Conti and repeat offender Berardi both picked up needless bookings and will now miss the semi-final against Spain, which really affects the Azzurri going forward. The pair at times worked so well together and in the second half were a huge outlet on the right-hand side, but the lack of discipline means that Italy will miss their creativity, perhaps changing factors that made tonight’s performance so good.

That being said, a lot can be built upon from this game. The fluid attack worked well, as it played to the strengths of the key players, especially with three good midfielders behind them working extremely hard.

It will be interesting to see how Italy do in the semi against Spain without Berardi and Conti, but if they maintain their pressing game and try their hardest to prevent the Spaniards from playing to their strengths, we could see another result like this.

If Italy keep creating chances and with Petagna likely to start due to the absence of Berardi, it is vital that Chiesa and Bernardeschi create as many chances as they can and try to bring him into the game within the 18-yard-box.

As for tonight, it was a good performance from the Azzurri, one that they needed given their last outing, and fills a few fans up with optimism going into the huge clash against Spain.  

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