Italy 3-0 Switzerland: Azzurri player believes Roberto Mancini’s men seal qualification for round of 16 in style
Italy booked their safe passage into the knockout stages of Euro 2020 with a 3-0 win over Switzerland in Group A on Wednesday.
the Azzuri extended their remarkable unbeaten streak to 29 games and subsequently reaffirmed their status as one of the tournament favorites.
Manuel Locatelli opened the scoring in the 26th minute after running a determined run into the box to recover a cross from Domenico Berardi. The midfielder then completed his brace just outside the box in the 52nd minute after a period of high pressure.
Roberto Mancini’s men completed the rout in the 89th minute when Ciro Immobile scored from a distance to score his second goal in the competition.
Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at how each Italian player performed during the game under the lights of the Stadio Olimpico.
Italian players’ ratings against Switzerland
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 7/10
Gianluigi Donnarumma was barely threatened for most of the game. However, he was turned on everywhere and gave a good count every time he was called. The Italian keeper remained calm to deal with the pressure after coming off the line in the first half.
Donnarumma also made a good double stop to push Steven Zuber off after the break.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 7/10
Giovanni Di Lorenzo didn’t offer much up front but remained disciplined at the back. He made an excellent block to prevent Rodriguez from sending a cross and catching Italy cold on the clock in the first half. A smart dummy to prevent Seferovic from attacking a cross also stood out.
Leonardo Bonucci – 7/10
Leonardo Bonucci took over the captain’s armband from Giorgio Chiellini and organized the defense very well. He was always looking to play forward passes and showed excellent composure on the ball. He was a real leader at the back for Italy.
Giorgio Chiellini – 5/10
Giorgio Chiellini showed a great desire to go after a corner from Insigne. Although his header was blocked, he found the back of the net with the second attempt. However, his effort was ruled out by VAR for handball against him in preparation.
It’s a shame he had to cope with what appeared to be a hamstring issue. Italy hopes it’s nothing too serious.
Leonardo Spinazzola – 7/10
Leonardo Spinazzola picked up where he left off against Turkey in the first half. He constantly bombarded forward from the left-back and even landed a wide shot from the far post after being played on goal by Insignia.
Spinazzola was more defensive after the break, with Italy sensing the early aggressiveness of their opponents.
Nicolo Barella – 6/10
Nicolo Barella probably didn’t have the kind of impact he would have liked in the final third. He was slightly cautious and seemed happy to allow Locatelli to advance and enter the area. The midfielder however squared the ball to Locatelli for Italy’s second goal.
Jorginho – 7/10
Jorginho made a smart display for Italy in midfield. He may not have the reach of Pirlo, but he thrives in a role deep under Mancini.
The Chelsea man displayed good tactical awareness throughout the game. His skillful shielding of the ball won faults and broke the rhythm of the opposition.
Manuel Locatelli – 9/10
Manuel Locatelli had marked only once for Italy before this match. However, he turned to style to win a brace against Switzerland. His desire was second to none as he ran from the halfway line to reach the end of the center after pulverizing the ball at Berardi.
Locatelli’s second goal was an absolute gem of a finish from outside the box and into the far corner, leaving Sommer rooted in his place.
Domenico Berardi – 8/10
Domenico Berardi showed excellent acceleration to leave Rodriguez on a toast in preparation for the opening goal.
The winger is direct and has a determination of steel, underlined by the fact that he always pursued everything with persistence, even at 2-0.
Ciro Immobile – 8/10
The altruistic Ciro Immobile made several excellent descents in the first half to stretch Switzerland to the rear.
Although he appeared to have a frustrating time in front of goal after missing two chances in the second half, the forward finished the rout just before regulation time with a brilliant finish from outside the box. He rightly feels at home in Rome, and Italy won’t complain.
Lorenzo Insigne – 7/10
Lorenzo Insigne shared a great bonding game with Spinazzola on the left flank in the first half. He produced a number of laser-type overhead passes to try and feed his teammates. However, he did very little in front of goal.
Italy substitutes
Francesco Acerbi – 6/10
Francesco Acerbi had the chance to get away with a pull over Embolo in the first half. It looked like Acerbi could be confused by the pace of the Swiss striker, but he gained confidence as the game progressed and settled in well.
It was not an easy task to replace Chiellini, but Acerbi got away with it unscathed.
Federico Chiesa – 5/10
Federico Chiesa showed he has pace to burn after replacing Insigne in the 69th minute. He may have to wait a lot longer to get a starting role.
Rafael Toloi – N / A
Rafael Toloi replaced Berardi in the 70th minute but didn’t have much of an impact on the game.
Matteo Pesina – N / A
Matteo Pesina replaced Locatelli in the 86th minute. He didn’t play enough minutes to earn a grade.
Bryan Cristante – N / A
Bryan Cristante was introduced in the 87th minute for Barella but didn’t have much time to make an impact on the proceedings.