The Barella coup, Insigne’s invention
When the situation seems to precipitate, Italy hits the heart in the 31st minute. Everything stems from a hasty disengagement in the area of the Belgians on which Verratti then rushes to serve Barella: his crossed right does not forgive. It is his sixth goal for the Azzurri, a very heavy goal. A goal that upsets the balance. In fact, Italy returns to the same as always. With fast triangulations, through passages, perfect synchronisms that send opponents into a tailspin, not very reactive when the number of laps is increased. All the blues are growing up, but Lorenzo Insigne is the one to take the chair, an elusive elf when he slips between the defensive lines of the Belgians. At 43 ‘the Neapolitan, after a darting slalom, invents one of those right-handers – his trademark – that made him famous. This time, however, he makes no mistake: and the balloon as if remote-controlled slips into the farthest corner. It is the goal of doubling. Which could be that of the knockout. With the interval almost upon us. And with the pleasure of going to the locker room with the feeling of having closed the game.
The rigor
Instead comes the blow. And it comes from the usual Doku who, taking advantage of a general distraction of our defense, enters the area trying to jump even Di Lorenzo. In contact, the blue defender gives him a slight push making him roll to the ground. The referee, the Slovenian Vincic, immediately assigns the penalty that Lukaku will then score by displacing Donnarumma. It is a rather generous penalty, but not scandalous. Let’s say that Di Lorenzo was very naive and Doku as smart as he was skilled.
Here, we are at the point: and here the greatest quality of this Italy emerges. Returning to the locker room after suffering an unfair penalty is not good for morale. It can be a deadly backlash. A psychological reversal that cuts the legs. Instead, the great merit of the Azzurri, as it had already happened with Austria, was that of having kept calm and coldness in a very complicated situation. And to be back on the pitch with the necessary peace of mind to prevent the match against Belgium from degenerating into a dangerous hand-to-hand.
A very hard second half
In the second half the emotions multiply. As long as the legs hold up, we keep the ball trying not to get crushed. But little by little the Belgian pressure pushes us to the corner: Doku in dribbling is irrepressible, Lukaku a bull always lurking. Chiellini is very good, but the tension is enormous. At 60 ‘De Bruyne serves the center forward without fail. The ball is about to enter but Spinazzola with a flicker thwarts the threat.
Spinazzola goes out on a stretcher
The Azzurri react, respond blow for blow, but the Belgians don’t give up: they are always there. At 70 ‘still Lukaku touches the goal with a header. Fatigue is now making itself felt. Among the Belgians there are the first changes. Mertens and Chadly enter while in Italy Belotti replaces Immobile and Cristante takes over Verratti. Another tile arrives in the 76th minute when Spinazzola, after an extension, gets hurt. He is replaced by Emerson. But it soon becomes clear that it is a heavy injury. The blue is desperate and is taken out on a stretcher. Minutes pass and other changes arrive. Chiesa and Insigne also leave to make way for Toloi and Berardi. The referee has almost six minutes to recover. It is a confused but constant siege that leaves no breath. The final whistle is a release. «They were all extraordinary» comments Mancini. The sky of Monaco is all blue. Now you can even dream.