Title holders Italy begin Euro 2024 on Saturday at 9 p.m. in Dortmund. The Squadra Azzurra will face Albania, which is playing the second final phase in its history in a major competition.
What to expect from Italy? Not qualified for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, between these two resounding failures she picked up her second continental title in 2021 thanks to two consecutive victories obtained on penalties against Spain (semi-final) and England ( final).
Successor to Roberto Mancini, coach Luciano Spalletti had to rebuild a team after the (semi-)retirement of several executives. Italy trembled until the end to ensure its direct qualification for the German meeting, finishing 2nd in its group tied with Ukraine (3rd) behind England.
Led by GC captain Amir Abrashi, Albania for its part won a Group E which was certainly not very competitive, tied with the Czech Republic, but ahead of Robert Lewandowski’s Poland (3rd) by 4 points who had to go through dams.
The team coached by the Brazilian Sylvinho dreams of creating the feat in Germany in a ‘group of death’ which also includes Spain and Croatia. The Albanians, who were eliminated in the group stage for their first Euro in 2016 in France, however lost four times in four duels against Italy.
Homecoming
Spain and Croatia will meet again from 6 p.m. on Saturday in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, a year after their Nations League final won on penalties by La Roja in Rotterdam. Woe to the vanquished, if there is one.
Exited by the surprising Moroccans in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup, Spain recovered perfectly by dominating the last Nations League as well as its qualifying group for this Euro. Luis de la Fuente’s squad has only conceded one defeat in Group A, against Scotland in March 2023, for seven victories.
Led by the young Rodri and Pedri, La Roja seems capable of seeking a fourth European title, twelve years after the second consecutive coronation of its golden generation. Croatia, which still counts on Luka Modric (38 years old), hopes to show its face from the last World Cups (2nd in 2018, 3rd in 2022). Because she has never reached the last four of a Euro.
/ATS
