The heart is not enough. Pride is not enough. The inexhaustible energy of Chiesa is not enough, after a gallop of 50 meters, he dishes the goal of the flag on Pellegrini’s feet, the one that allows us to save face in front of the San Siro public, the first flogger (with whistles) of the « traitor »Donnarumma, then irrepressible in trying to push the Azzurri towards a now impossible undertaking. Defeated, beaten: almost dominated if it hadn’t been for that final roar which, however, cannot hide the shortcomings of an almost unrecognizable Italy. Especially in the first half.
Farewell to Mancini’s unbeaten run
After 3 years and 37 matches, Mancini’s national team, not even three months ago, European champion at Wembley, loses its unbeaten run. And it loses it precisely with Spain, the team that in the semifinals in London, had made us suffer the most, eventually coming out only on penalties. This time the script repeats itself, because Roja makes us see the witches again in the famous “possession” of the ball, but with a difference: that we Italians are beaten – even with the mitigating factor of Bonucci’s expulsion. And it will be our turn to play the “poor” final on Sunday afternoon, the one for third and fourth place in Turin against Belgium or France, while Spain, again here at San Siro, will compete for the first place in the Nations League in the evening.
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Spain made us run
It is not nice to fall in front of your audience, after a perhaps unrepeatable summer that perhaps made us all drunk and even relaxed. But beyond a couple of negative episodes that penalized the Azzurri, Spain has always had the game in hand, both with a clear superiority in the dribble, and in the ability not to let us catch our breath. Trivially, they made us run. You can see it right from the start. With our “light” trident (Insigne, Bernardeschi and Chiesa) we can’t even scratch them. For a simple reason: that our midfield, almost caught in a squeeze, is unable to enter the fast lines of Luis Enrique’s web, a coach who is extremely skilled in shuffling the cards and launching new talents. Other than penalized by injuries and torn by controversy! Even without their lords of Real Madrid and decimated by the absence of big names like Morata, Dani Olmo, Jordi Alba and Pedro, Spain immediately starts in fourth by hiding the ball from us and preventing our players (Verratti and Jorginho) from building that beautiful quick game. and invasive which has been our trademark at the European Championship.
The Spanish goal comes early
With Batons in place of Chiellini, the only positive note comes from the effervescence of Chiesa who deceives us in the fourth minute with a nice right foot neutralized by the Spanish goalkeeper. But then the match goes on an incline. Even in the match of the false nines, we come out battered: Bernardeschi gets lost in the street, while in Spain the 17-year-old Gavi, Barcelona’s golden boy, also with the number nine, lights up the San Siro with his shiny embroideries in the midfield. In short, let’s go below. The holes open on the right side of the blue grid where Di Lorenzo dances the Catalan rumba. The first goal is at 17: cross from the left by Oyarzabal, deviation by Ferran Torres who anticipates Bastoni, and the one to zero is served. A slap that stuns us. So much so that a minute later, for a half Donarumma duck, we risk doubling. Surprisingly, however, comes the reaction of pride.
Insigne’s error, Bonucci’s naivety
A left footed shot by Bernardeschi is deflected on the post and then, in the 35th minute, Italy can equalize with a sensational goal from Insigne which however – like a penalty in motion – ends up mysteriously out. But from here on out – under Spanish pressure – we complicate life on our own. The key episode is at 42 ‘when Bonucci – already booked – on a rebound jumps with wide elbows and hits Busquets. The movement is broken up, but not terribly bad. But that’s enough to trigger another yellow card and expulsion. Can we tell? For someone like Bonucci, it is naïve. A clumsy gesture, the son of the anxiety with which Italy is on the field. And from a blow comes another immediately. With three first touches the Spaniards dish the doubling ball on Ferran Torres’ head. The Azzurri are asleep and the lights at San Siro almost go out. Only the Spanish fans can be heard. In the second half Mancini tries them all by inserting Chiellini, Kean, Locatelli and Pellegrini. Robust people who, in some way, prevent surrender. It is not nice to see the European champions chasing the ball like the bull the muleta, but with pride they manage not to get caught thanks also to the providential saves of Donnarumma.