SUMMARY
It takes more than a disastrous start and a “Red Wall” of excited Albanian supporters to make Italy doubt: the reigning European champions, trailing after 23 seconds of play, dominated Albania 2 to 1 , Saturday in Dortmund.
Three years after her unexpected coronation at Wembley, the Nationalwho barely qualified to defend her title in Germany, scared herself for around ten minutes, before easily mastering a lackluster Albania.
Italy couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start to Euro 2024.
She conceded in the second action of the match the fastest goal in history in a final phase of a European Championship after a blunder by Federico Dimarco.
The Inter Milan defender, on a touch too weak back towards Alessandro Bastoni, ideally launched towards the goal of his team Nedim Bajrami who, with a violent strike at the near post, deceived Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Sassuolo striker, one of the five Albanian starters playing in Italy, sent the 50,000 supporters dressed in red and wearing the traditional white felt “qeleshe” to seventh heaven.
Even in its seated configuration for this Euro, the “Yellow Wall”, the impressive stand usually occupied by Borussia Dortmund supporters, turned red for the occasion, shook the Westfalenstadion and undoubtedly all of football Italy.
Bajrami dethroned the Russian Dmitri Kirichenko, author until then of the fastest goal in history during Euro 2004 after 67 seconds of play, against Greece at the Algarve stadium in Portugal.
Strakosha avoids the worst
But instead of giving him confidence, this goal completely paralyzed Albania which is playing in Germany the second major tournament in its history after Euro-2016.
The “Eagles”, 66th in the FIFA rankings, quickly folded their wings, facing an Italy which, despite lacking certainties, particularly offensively, before this tournament, no longer asked any questions.
We only had to wait around ten minutes for the Nazionale to equalize on a corner, played in two stages between Lorenzo Pellegrini and Dimarco, and taken at the far post by Alessandro Bastoni (11th).
Luciano Spalletti’s team doubled the lead in the 16th minute with a superb Nicolo Barella strike which silenced the imposing Albanian contingent in the stands and made the hitherto timid “Italia, Italia” redouble their efforts.
The European champions, all in control like their midfield play masterfully orchestrated by Jorginho and Barella, could have increased the score before the break.
But they came up against Thomas Strakosha, preferred to Etrit Berisha.
The Brentford goalkeeper first deflected an attempt from Davide Frattesi (32nd) onto his left post, then intervened in front of Gianluca Scamacca, unmarked (38th).
Returning from the locker room, Italy resumed its domination, but did not manage to take cover, despite a 20m strike from Chiesa which narrowly missed the target (60th).
Albania even believed it could snatch a draw in the 90th minute without a decisive deflection from Donnarumma, ahead of Rey Manaj.
