From our correspondent Andrea Ramazzotti
November 14, 2024 (changed at 11:02 pm) – MILANO
Italy flies to the Nations League quarter-finals by also winning in Belgium. Deserved success thanks to the first goal with Sandro Tonali’s national team who, thanks to the disqualification, had not celebrated a goal for 14 months. For Spalletti it is a great result: he rebuilt the national team after the terrible European Championship and in five matches from September onwards he achieved four victories and a draw thanks to ideas and play. We stunned the Red Devils with the dribbling and rotations of the midfielders, with Barella everywhere and the others continually inserting themselves. We are on the right path, no doubt about that. On Sunday, France arrives at the San Siro after not beating Israel this evening: we will be first (and therefore will have the advantage of challenging a second team in the quarter-finals) even in the event of a defeat with a one-goal margin, but above all the point that we needed before tonight to be safe, we took him to Brussels, winning and showing what Italy is capable of. An important message. Indeed, another important message from a reborn national team.
SUPER ITALY
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Upon reading the starting line-ups, everything is confirmed for Spalletti: the director is Rovella, preferred to Locatelli, while behind Retegui there is Barella, with Frattesi and Tonali as midfielders. Tedesco, who does not have Doku, De Bruyne, De Ketelaere and Courtois, finds Lukaku as a starter and places Openda alongside him, aiming for a 3-5-2 with Debast, Faes and Theate in defence, Castagne and De Cuyper on the flanks plus Engels, Onana and Trossard as central hinge. Belgium doesn’t press, they compact everything behind the line of the ball and let Italy play the game. The Azzurri’s dribbling is precise, with Barella moving back between the lines and the others moving a lot. The first shot goes to Frattesi, with Casteels saving easily. The threat rate increases when we use the change of pitch because the hosts are very narrow and the wingers, who are in fact full-backs, are very low. The 1-0 action originates from Barella who widens the left for Dimarco, Retegui fights in the middle and allows Barella to start the decisive action and then close the triangle with Di Lorenzo, author of the assist for Tonali. The Newcastle midfielder makes no mistake and celebrates by forming the letter G with his fingers, that of his girlfriend Giulia. An applause-worthy action that certifies Italy’s superiority. At the quarter of an hour we had 80% possession and Belgium acted as our sparring partner. Difficult to hypothesize at the end of June, when we were on the ground after a nightmare European Championship.
BALANCE
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The Red Devils set “3+1”, with Onana who lowers himself but is always followed by Barella and the defenders, despite having numerical superiority compared to Retegui and the blue midfielder who presses, do not have the foot to let the ball come out “cleanly” . So Tedesco rages on the bench without getting the answers he would like, while Spalletti, who shouts as if he were behind in the score, is satisfied with what he sees. Buongiorno is relentless on teammate Lukaku and for half an hour there is no story, but then Belgium picks up the pace a bit and starts to keep the ball more. We struggle more to get out, Retegui no longer dictates the depth and the match becomes more balanced because the hosts are more aggressive and intense. Big Rom goes on the excellent Rovella, Openda attacks with more determination; on the other hand Donnarumma gets away with a couple of high exits. Once the moment of difficulty was overcome, before the end of the first half, with another good spectacular move, the Azzurri managed Tonali’s (muffled) shot in the area. Upon returning to the locker room, Lukaku and his teammates don’t even have a shot on target.
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OTHER BELGIUM
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At the beginning of the second half the Red Devils started differently compared to the first half and tried with more conviction: Debast called on Gigio to save, while Engels shot high over the crossbar. Italy responds with Retegui, triggered by Frattesi and stopped in a one-on-one corner kick by Casteels. A few seconds and Frattesi and Di Lorenzo are one step away from 2-0. The match becomes vibrant, the two teams stretch and it takes a reflex from Gigio to stop Openda’s diagonal shot from a tight angle. Spalletti changes something (Kean and Udogie for Retegui and Dimarco) with the aim of having fresh forces, but the tactical score remains the same, while Tedesco inserts Al-Dakhil and Vermeeren for Engels and Theate. However, the real offensive turning point came with Lukebakio for De Cuyper. In view of the opponent’s attack, Locatelli and Raspadori also enter for Rovella and Barella, who comes out very tired; Cambiaso is also out for Gatti. From Castagne’s cross, Lukaku’s header grazes the post, then Di Lorenzo deflects it into the corner following a shot from the Belgian captain. Italy is in difficulty and Lady Luck gives them a hand with a dead ball, with Faes’ shot hitting the post. Tedesco also throws Bakayoko into the fray and now we only play in the blue half of the field, but we resist. And after the final whistle there is celebration in the sector occupied by 6,000 Italian fans.
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