Euro 2024: Italy overthrows Albania in its first match

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 2-1 , Saturday in Dortmund.

Three years after its unexpected coronation at Wembley, the Nazionale – which had difficulty qualifying to defend its title in Germany – scared itself for around ten minutes, before easily mastering a lackluster Albania.

Italy could not have had a worse start to its Euro 2024. It 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 that was too weak towards Alessandro Bastoni, ideally launched Nedim Bajrami towards his team’s goal. The former Swiss U21 international, trained at Grasshopper before continuing his career in Italy, with a violent strike at the near post, deceived Gianluigi Donnarumma and sent the 50,000 supporters dressed in red and wearing the traditional “to the seventh day”. qeleshe” in white felt.

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.

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 in the face of a 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 strike from Nicolo Barella which silenced the imposing Albanian contingent in the stands and made the hitherto timid “Italia, Italia” double again.

The European champions, in complete control like their midfield 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 stepped 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 thought they could snatch a draw in the 90th minute without a decisive deflection from Donnarumma past Rey Manaj.

If Italy negotiated this trap match well and quickly forgot its initial fear, it will have to be more realistic against Spain – victorious over Croatia 3-0 on Saturday – June 20 for what should be the final of this group b.