Italy fought valiantly and only lost to Germany on penalties, so David Swan rates the Azzurri in Bordeaux.
Gianluigi Buffon – 7
Made a magnificent save from a piece of Giorgio Chiellini defending. Maybe should have done better with Jonas Hector’s penalty, but it would be harsh to mark him down for actions in a penalty shootout.
Andrea Barzagli – 6
Italy fought valiantly and only lost to Germany on penalties, so David Swan rates the Azzurri in Bordeaux.
Gianluigi Buffon – 7
Made a magnificent save from a piece of Giorgio Chiellini defending. Maybe should have done better with Jonas Hector’s penalty, but it would be harsh to mark him down for actions in a penalty shootout.
Andrea Barzagli – 6
Defended well throughout the night. Between him and Stefano Sturaro, the run of Mesut Ozil should have been dealt with. Was fortunate that his failed efforts to retrieve the ball extremely high in extra time didn’t lead to a German counterattack goal.
Leonardo Bonucci – 7
Didn’t put a foot wrong the entire game, and his penalty during normal time was as good as they come. His effort in the shootout wasn’t bad either, but was matched by a very good save from Manuel Neuer.
Giorgio Chiellini – 7
Seems to have a great knack of winning aerial balls in front of forwards and nodding it over them. Saw the same move in action again tonight. Didn’t try to be too clever with the ball in the face of Germany pressing.
Alessandro Florenzi – 7
Ran incredibly hard for the team, although his game will be best remembered for the acrobatic piece of defending near the goal line. His coolness under the high ball in the first half – plucking it out of the air and building from the back – was another highlight.
Stefano Sturaro – 5
Offers incredible running and energy, but went to sleep for Ozil’s goal, a mistake you cannot make at this level. Should really have been taken off during extra time, where his legs had gone and he was no longer offering the same coverage of the pitch.
Marco Parolo – 6
Was surprisingly good in front of the defence. What he lacks in Daniele De Rossi’s experience and defensive ability, he made up for with some slightly more adventurous passing.
Emanuele Giaccherini – 6
Busy, as he always is, but didn’t have the same thrust from midfield. Germany’s matching of the 3-5-2 system took away some of the space he had to operate.
Mattia De Sciglio – 6
A solid game defensively from the Milan full-back, but another whose offensive output was limited by the Germany 3-5-2.
Eder – 6
Starved of the ball for long periods of the match, either because he wasn’t taking up great positions, or because Germany had limited his space well.
Graziano Pellè – 6
To maintain consistency, he wasn’t marked down for his actions in the shootout. But this could well have been a 5 if he were. Did a far better job than Eder of receiving the ball from his defenders and midfielders, although it helps that he is the target for the long balls that were often played.
Matteo Darmian – 6
Continued Florenzi’s strong defensive work on the right flank. Didn’t offer anywhere near as much going forward, but Italy spent a large part of his time on the pitch either playing for extra time, or penalties.
Lorenzo Insigne – 6
Had a couple of nice moments where he looked like a threat. He deserved longer on the pitch than he got, especially given the tiring legs many of the Italians had to play through.
Simone Zaza – no rating
Was not on the pitch long enough to be rated. We’re ignoring the penalty for his own good.