This time no aria sung by Andrea Bocelli, no virtual rock concert, no opening game euphoria, under which the setting Roman sun on Friday evening had seemed even more romantic. The requirements for the Italians in the second group match against Switzerland were different from those of last Friday, when the “notte magica” had caused so much enthusiasm in Italy. “The moral, the desire to be a part of the team in which everyone puts their qualities at the service of the team,” was what world champion coach Marcello Lippi recognized during the week and thus joined the chorus of praise that followed The start (3-0) against Turkey had sung as fervently as otherwise only on the occasion of the national anthem before the game.
The majority of the football world joined this choir under the impression of the first game. And it took a second such clear 3-0 victory as on Wednesday evening against Switzerland in the second game to refute the thesis that the great enthusiasm for the Italians was a short-term hype. The thesis that this team – traditionally dressed in blue, but otherwise reinvented – is one of the narrow favorites for the 2021 European Championship.
Not only was the setting a little less formal in Rome, but from a purely sporting point of view, the Italians had to do without the right-wing full-back Alessandro Florenzi, who was injured in the opening game. Roberto Mancini replaced him with Giovanni Di Lorenzo from SSC Napoli. Otherwise, he trusted the team on Friday, just like his counterpart, the Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic, who also brought up the same eleven Swiss players as in the 1-1 draw against Wales.
Giorgio Chiellini scores, but referee Sergei Karasev takes the goal back
It took less than five minutes for the Italians to continue playing as if the magical night had never ended. The game against Turkey ended almost intoxicatingly, and the game against the Swiss, who had been waiting from the start and was offensive, started just as well. Italy controlled the ball, radiated a lot of danger at the beginning, especially on the left side, and quickly came up with good chances: striker Ciro Immobile missed with a header in the 10th minute from a few meters.
Shortly afterwards, the Italians took the lead through Giorgio Chiellini, but referee Sergei Karasev took the 1-0 back in the 20th minute, according to the TV images. Chiellini – who had to leave the field injured shortly afterwards – accidentally touched the ball with his hand, which, according to the latest interpretation of the rules, is a punishable offense if the hand player is the goal scorer. Unimpressed, the Italians just played on and a few minutes later came to the well-deserved and this time rule-compliant lead: Manuel Locatelli first started with a full pass to Domenico Berardi on the right-hand side and completed a full sprint through the Swiss half shortly afterwards from close range (26.).
The Italians then returned to one of their core virtues and defended their lead. However, not in the style of the 1990s or that of Marcello Lippi, but in the way Italy has performed under Mancini since 2018 and especially at the EM: with a lot of ball control, almost perfect defense and a mixture of self-image and self-confidence Form has not yet shown a team in this tournament.
Switzerland looks exhausted and dull – very different from the Italians
Most of the time, the Swiss stood out for their hairstyles, which were the work of a hairdresser flown into the team quarters: Granit Xhaka (freshly bleached hairline), Nico Elvedi (highlights) and Manuel Akanji (short-cropped, bleached hair) were also in the second The Italians hit – right in the middle of a five-minute Swiss rebellion – too far away to intervene. Locatelli was able to shoot undisturbed from 18 meters, goalkeeper Yann Sommer had no chance (52nd).
Despite early changes, Switzerland looked exhausted and dull, very different from the Italians: Immobile could have made it 3-0 in the 73rd and 75th minutes, he finally did it with a long-range shot in the 89th minute. A controlled calm had long since returned to the Italian game. Unlike against Turkey, when the Italians ran up to the last minute with waving flags because they could no longer hold out in the euphoria, this time they checked with room and spared their strength. Italy didn’t play like a team that has yet to prove something, but like one that has big plans.
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