Mith another gala appearance, Italy was the first team to buy the ticket for the round of 16 and further nourished the Tifosi’s dreams of winning the European Football Championship. The team of coach Roberto Mancini passed the first tournament endurance test brilliantly on Wednesday in front of 14,436 fans in the Olympic Stadium in Rome in the 3-0 (1-0) against Switzerland and underpinned their ambitions for the second European Championship triumph after 1968. A double by Manuel Locatelli (26th / 52nd minute) and a late goal by Ciro Immobile (89th) made the second victory in the second group A match and thus the early entry into the knockout round perfect.
Italy have been unbeaten in 29 games and have won the last ten games to zero. The Squadra Azzurra, who will play against Wales (4 points) for group victory next Sunday, are hot contenders for the European Cup in this form. Switzerland, on the other hand, has to fear for the round of 16 after a point from two games and absolutely win the last group game against Turkey, which is still pointless.
As in the 3-0 opening win against Turkey, the Italians were there from the first minute and dominated the game. Although the Swiss opposed it in the early stages, coach Vladimir Petkovic’s team had nothing to offer offensively.
The Azzurri are completely different. The first chance was offered to Immobile after ten minutes, but the ex-Dortmund headed the ball over the goal. Nine minutes later, captain Giorgio Chiellini poked the ball into the net after a corner out of the crowd, but the exuberant goal celebration was suddenly stopped by Bastian Dankert. The German video assistant had previously recognized a handball by Chiellini, which is why the Russian referee Sergej Karasew withdrew the hit.
For Chiellini it was the last action, because a little later the defensive veteran had to leave the pitch. For him came Francesco Acerbi. But that didn’t throw the hosts out of rhythm. On the contrary: after Domenico Berardi’s good preparatory work, Locatelli took a well-deserved lead. The goalscorer had initiated the goal with a dream pass to Berardi himself.
The Swiss tried to react, but could not embarrass the four-time world champion. The Italians kept winning the ball early, so goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma never had to intervene in the first half. Rather, Lorenzo Insigne had the 2-0 on the foot, but Manuel Akanji from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund saved with a head just before the line.
After the change, the Swiss, who only won two of the 15 finals in five European Championships, started a little more courageously. The Italians were now attacked well in their half and put at least a little pressure. But the confederates’ riot lasted only a short time. Locatelli’s first attack in the second half again made it 2-0. The midfielder from Sassuolo Calcio, who is courted by Juventus Turin, hit the corner with a wonderful low shot from around 20 meters. Yann Sommer from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the goal of the Swiss was powerless.
Remarkable: The Squadra Azzurra did not rest on the comfortable two-goal cushion, but kept looking for the way forward. Berardi (65th) was close to the third goal, but his shot just missed the target. 60 seconds earlier, the Swiss had come dangerously in front of the Italian goal for the first time. Substitute Steven Zuber from Frankfurt failed because of the strongly reacting Donnarumma. The final point was provided by Immobile, who had previously given away two major opportunities.
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