The blue dis-adventure at the Under 21 European Championship ends sadly, with the knockout against willing but modest Norway. The 0-1 draw in Cluj, achieved 20′ into the second half, condemns Italy to third place in 3 points like the Swiss (overwhelmed by France, promoted to full points) and the Norwegians, but punished by the greater number of goals scored by the Swiss, who go to the quarterfinals. A very bitter defeat, which leaves the Azzurrini in tears and coach Paolo Nicolato, with his contract expiring, at the farewell step.
“My last game on the Under 21 bench? Right now doesn’t seem like the time to talk about myself, we’ll do it later…”. Said Paolo Nicolato, the Under 21 coach at the end of his contract, after the Azzurrini’s elimination from the Under 21 European Championship. with Norway – The performances didn’t repay us for the points they could bring: it’s not an Italy with three points”, he concluded referring to the final group standings.
Quarterfinals draw
Saturday 1st July: in Tbilisi (Georgia): Georgia-Israel (6 p.m.) in Bucarest (Romania): Spain-Switzerland (ore 21)
Sunday 2nd July: a Kutaisi (Georgia): England-Portugal (6 p.m.) of Cluj-Napoca (Romania): France-Ukraine (ore 21)
ANSA Agency
They win in groups A and B. Outside Belgium, Holland, Croatia, Romania (ANSA)
From Nunziata, coach of the Under 20 World Cup finalist, to De Rossi, former collaborator of Mancini in the senior national team, passing through Bollini, rumors about possible alternatives are already in the field. On the other hand, the disappointment is double: for the expectations on an Under team who felt sure they had reached maturity, and who had borrowed players from the senior national team, and because the tournament counts as an Olympic qualifier. Neither is the referee’s bad evening in the first match against France a justification, given that then with Switzerland the mistakes were in favor of the Azzurrini, and above all given tonight’s result. On balance, the invoked Var will reach the quarterfinals, but will not find the Azzurrini. As against Switzerland, Italy played well in the first half and then shut down, especially mentally, in the second. Soft and relaxed just at the moment when he had to give everything.
The Norwegian advantage added further anxiety and imprecision to the blue manoeuvre. And not even the exchanges have managed to recover lucidity. Nicolato chooses Pellegri and Gnonto for the attack. Despite zero in the standings, Norway believes in it and fields a second striker. Rainy evening at the Cluj Arena and Italy trying to take the initiative right away. Rovella’s cross in the 14th minute crosses Pellegri’s head, but the deflection is imprecise. Norway takes cover and seeks a restart with long trajectories. It’s dangerous in the 26th minute, when Rovella’s advance is providential to stop Ceide in the center of the blue area. Norway, meanwhile, has abandoned the tactic of throwing and has returned to ground level exchanges. Ricci pounces on a ball rejected by the defense, the grenade’s volley is deflected for a corner. The minutes go by and Italy is missing that goal which would give them the almost certainty of the quarterfinals. He nearly missed it in the 40th minute: on Bellanova’s cross, Tonali’s header didn’t find a teammate’s deflection and went out. In the 45th minute it was 0-0, with Parisi and Bellanova head and shoulders above all in terms of quality. Switzerland and France are at 1-1. No change and we start again. Norway immediately at the shot with Ceide, central and Carnesecchi blocks. The Sassuolo striker remains one of his best gods. In the 10th minute the Azzurri goalkeeper had to stretch out to deflect Evjen’s left foot.
Two minutes later Pellegri launches Gnonto vertically, his right foot goes off the outside of the net. Italy now tends to drop too much and Norway is still dangerous with Hove, blocked by Okoli. Fresh forces are needed: Gnonto comes out for Cambiaghi and Pellegri for Colombo. With no goals to his credit, the match remained at risk and the ghosts of elimination materialized in the 20th minute, when Botheim awkwardly deflected Nusa’s cross behind Carnesecchi. But practically at the same minute France also scores and hopes are rekindled. We absolutely need equal goals and Nicolato tries to shake him up with other substitutions. Enter Cambiaso and Miretti, outside Bellanova and Rovella. Cambiaghi tries with his left foot, powerful but high. Azzurri also unlucky when Cambiaghi still hits the crossbar with Klaesson beaten. We had to draw at all costs, to hook the quarterfinals. But tonight’s Under 21 team didn’t seem capable even of a 1-1 draw
2023-06-28 21:32:56
#Euro #Norway #beats #Italy #Azzurri #eliminated #Sport
