ROME. Tender is the Roman night for Roberto Mancini’s national team, who beat opponents and records in series by 3-0, while at the same time keeping the qualification for the round of 16 of the European Championship in the safe. With the three goals inflicted on Switzerland tonight thanks to a brace from the amazing Locatelli and a goal by Immobile at the end, a result that could even be much wider due to occasions and game produced, the Azzurri in fact exceeded the elimination round by momentum making the challenge on Sunday with Wales only a play-off for the first place in the group: a position who knows how advantageous (the game of pairings in this phase is always difficult to interpret), and in any case not necessary to move forward.
The current 6 points in the standings of Mancini’s team are enough, which extends the positive streak to 29 useful results and ten consecutive successes (without conceding a goal) and is the first to qualify for the second phase. Not always starting strong is automatically worth a top-level tournament (in 2016 Conte’s blues started with two even more significant victories, but stopped in the quarter-finals; Portugal then champion took off with three draws). But Mancini’s team, having made the tare of the opponents not of the highest level faced so far, with his game always devoted to attack and fueled by an excellent ball possession, sends a strong message to the Europe of football, in which other big players put extraordinary talents on display but none of the blue ability to build victory with simplicity.
When the Berardi alarm returned widely, at the start Mancini had practically proposed the same team as the match against Turkey. The only exception was the convalescent Florenzi replaced by Di Lorenzo who had already replaced him very worthily in the second half of the opening race. Not even on the bench, however, Verratti, prudently kept away from the temptation to hasten the return. The form is discounted, the usual 4-3-3 in search of play and goals with the offensive trident Insigne-Berardi-Immobile. Even Petkovic, for whom the Olimpico was home ground for a year and a half when he coached Lazio, did not give up on a form apparently aimed at building the game like his 3-4-1-2. In spite of a whole filmography, which starts from the immense Manfredi emigrant in Bread and Chocolate, the Swiss had nevertheless presented themselves with a strongly multi-ethnic national team devoted to integration, with the disruptive Embolo, born in Cameroon to pair up with an offensive end. forward with Seferovic (of Bosnian origin). To set them in motion, Shaqiri (born in Kosovo), a little heavy in the muscles but always fearful for the inspiration.
The fact is that despite Petkovic’s good will, it was the Italian propulsion that placed the inclined plane of the match in the opposing half of the pitch: in the first half hour they practically always played there, and at least a couple of great occasions emerged: the first at 10 ‘came from Spinazzola’s usual escape on the left, good at sending a ball to the center that only asked to be put in the net: but Immobile was not as good and put it high with an awkward header. And the second came in the 19th minute, when on Insigne Chiellini’s corner he overwhelmed Xhaka and Akani in the mix before realizing from two steps. Karasev conceded the goal, but the man’s intervention at the Var pushed him to reconsider.
The blue goal was still mature, and despite a resentment in the left thigh forced Mancini to replace captain Chiellini with Acerbi in the 23 ‘, it arrived at 25’ when Locatelli dominated in midfield during the interdiction phase throwing Berardi on the right: the winger s ‘flew into the right lane and put the ball back in the center, where he found, look a little, Locatelli himself who, after sprinting 50 meters, achieved from two steps.
Switzerland tried to give depth to its maneuvers, but without constructive: if anything, it was still Italy that became dangerous with a couple of counter-attacks by Insigne and Spinazzola. In the second half, Switzerland came back with Gavranovic in place of Seferovic and tried to score more forward, but immediately took the blow of the definitive knockout: Locatelli still launched it in the 7 ‘, with a dry left from outside the area after Berardi’s action- Stretcher. Zuber tried to reopen the game in the 19 ‘, but on his close-range shot he put Donnarumma a patch, earning a good score in the report card.
Chiesa and Toloi entered instead of Insigne and Berardi, Pessina and Cristante for Locatelli (the standing ovation was triggered) and Barella, scored the third goal with a long shot Immobile with the collaboration of Sommer: but the meaning of the evening did not change, and the party in the Roman summer began again.
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma 6.5, Di Lorenzo 6.5, Bonucci 6.5, Chiellini sv (24 ‘pt Acerbi 6), Spinazzola 6.5, Barella 6.5 (42’ st Cristante sv), Jorginho 6.5, Locatelli 8.5 (41 ‘ st Pessina), Berardi 7 (23 ‘st Toloi sv), Immobile 6.5, Insigne 6 (24’ st Chiesa sv). (1 Sirigu, 26 Meret, 9 Belotti, 13 Emerson, 20 Bernardeschi, 22 Raspadori, 23 Bastoni). All .: Mancini 7
Swiss (3-4-2-1): Summer 5; Elvedi 5, Shar 5.5 (13 ‘st Zuber 5.5), Akanji 5, Mbabu 5 (13’ st Widmer 6), Freuler 5.5 (39 ‘st Sow sv), Xhaka 5, Ricardo Rodriguez 5.5, Shaqiri 5.5 (31’ st Vargas sv), Embolo, 6, Seferovic 5.5 (1 ‘st Gavranovic 5.5). (12 Mvogo, 21 Kobel, 6 Zakaria, 16 Fassnacht, 17 Benito, 18 Mehmedi, 25 Cömert). All .: Petkovic 5.
Referee: Sergei Karasev (Rus)
Networks: 26 ‘pt and 7’ st Locatelli, 44 ‘st Property
Note. Corners 3-2 for Italy. Stoppage time: 2 ‘and 3’. Expelled: none. Booked: Gavranović and Embolo for foul play. Spectators: 16 thousand.
Standings: Italy 6, Wales 4, Switzerland 1, Turkey 0. Upcoming (Sunday 20): Italy-Wales, Turkey-Switzerland (simultaneously at 18).
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