ROME. Italy beat Wales with a goal from Pessina in the 39th minute of the first half and won the group with full points.The Roman summer of Mancini’s national team to the Europeans therefore ends with yet another party, a 1-0 success on Wales that the added Azzurri owners give to the technical commissioner allowing him to equal, at least in numbers, a legendary figure of Italian football, Vittorio Pozzo.
Above all, the already qualified Italy glides with full points and from the first classified of the group at Wembley for the eighth final which will be played next Saturday starting at 21 against the second of group C, then Austria or Ukraine that face each other tomorrow. No calculation has been made by the coach, therefore, nor have there been abstruse searches for alternative routes to avoid Belgium or France in the rest of the tournament: also because there seem to be no discounted roads for anyone, not even for the highly rated world champions of Deschamps, yesterday blocked on par by Hungary.
Meanwhile, today’s 1-0 over Bale and his teammates is worth the thirtieth consecutive useful result for Italy, as it was for Pozzo (who, however, won two world championships and an Olympics with that score, as Mancini reasonably admits) and extends the streak of victories, with no goals conceded, at 11. It also makes a particular sense that everything happens despite the massive turnover achieved today in the Capitoline heat by Mancini, capable of replacing 8 elements out of 11 compared to the challenge with Switzerland (confirmed only Donnarumma, Bonucci and Jorginho) and in any case be rewarded by a sparkling performance consistent with the recent past, made up of possession of the ball and search for the game.
To determine the Italian success are those that once would have been defined reserves but which in the specific case have shown important qualities, often equal to those of the owners. And to sign him, a cultured footballer capable of translating from Latin, the young Pessina who declines the role of midfielder in an admirable way: he works in cover, recovers the ball and fits, often primed by the recovered Verratti, in a vertical that recalls that of the past between Totti and Perrotta.
Already at the start, on the other hand, it was understood that with the squad available to Mancini an old rule applies: changing the order of the factors the product does not change. And so in the usual 4-3-3 form the game went smoothly, with the returning Verratti immediately recovered and the other grafts, starting with Chiesa and Belotti, frantically eager to show up. The result was a continuous and pressing ball, with the British confined to their own half and the talents Bale and Ramsey isolated forward to act as spectators.
Fatal that the scoring opportunities for Italy would arrive: on the first at 17 ‘Pessina made the general rehearsal of the goal going to deflect on Toloi’s cross-shot (Ward’s parade). On the second, in the 25th minute on Chiesa-Bernardeschi action the ball went to Belotti who pulled out. Another blue opportunity in the 29th minute (Bastoni’s cross with a Church shot deflected by a defender), and fatally – as Wales did not arrive – Italy passed. At 39 ‘, on a free kick from the right by Verratti, Pessina entered with a flash of goalscorer, and with a’ delicate deviation that reminded a little of Bettega’s shots and a little of Paolo Rossi’s, he put in the net.
In the second half Mancini gave Bonucci breathing space by replacing him with Acerbi, Bernardeschi and Belotti continued their stubborn search for the goal (the Juventus player hit a post on a free kick in the 8th minute, the Torino player found a couple of times on the way to his shots. Ward) and Wales also dreamed of returning to the game in the 10th minute thanks to a good foray by Ramsey neutralized by Acerbi. But then for the British it was night ahead of time because Ampadu (moreover a relapse) came into conflict with the hammer foot on Bernardeschi’s ankle and ended up rightly expelled. Outnumbered, Page’s team was concerned only with avoiding worse problems for the goal difference, and was rewarded by direct qualification as second in the group to the detriment of Switzerland.
As for Mancini, he also granted a catwalk to Cristante, Raspadori, Castrovilli and Sirigu: bringing the number of blues used in this tournament to 25 out of 26 available (the only one with zero minutes so far the third goalkeeper Meret): confirming the fact that the ct, in the absence of celebrated champions in the squad, makes sure to transform the group into its true champion. For the Sardinian goalkeeper of Turin it is the number 27 presence, the second in a European final fsa after the one against Ireland in 2016.
Wales also qualified for the best goal difference over Switzerland, who won 3-1 against Turkey and are now hoping for a repechage among the best third.
ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma sv (44 ‘st Sirigu sv), Toloi 6.5, Bonucci 6.5 (1’ st Acerbi 6) Sticks 6.5, Emerson Palmieri 6.5, Verratti 7, Jorginho 6.5 (29 ‘st Cristante sv) , Pessina 7.5 (41 ‘st Castrovilli sv), Bernardeschi 6.5 (29’ st Raspadori sv), Belotti 6.5, Chiesa 6.5. (26 Meret, 2 Di Lorenzo, 4 Spinazzola, 5 Locatelli, 7 Castrovilli, 10 Insigne, 17 Immobile, 18 Barella). Coach: Mancini 7.
GALLES (3-4-3): Ward 6, Ampadu 4, Rodon 6, Gunter 5.5, C. Roberts 6, Allen 5.5 (40′ st Levitt sv), Morrell 5 (14′ st Moore 5), N. Williams 5 (40′ st B. Davies sv), Bale 5 (40′ st Brooks sv), Ramsey 5.5, James 5.5 (28′ st Wilson sv). (1 Hennessey, 21 A. Davies, 5 Lockyer, 9 T. Roberts, 17 Norrington-Davies, 18 J. Williams, 22 Mepham). All.: Page.
Referee: Hategan (Romania)
Networks: in pt 39 ‘Pessina
Note. Corners: 7-1 for Italy Recovery: 0 ‘and 3’ Expelled: red headed to Ampadou at 10 ‘for a foul on Bernardeschi Ammoniti: Allen, Pessina, Gunter for unfair play Spectators: 16,000
Group A standings: Italy 9, Wales 4 (goal difference plus 1), Switzerland 4 (goal difference -1), Turkey 0.
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