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There has been no better team than Italy at Euro 2020 and they are now two games from glory after dumping out Belgium – so how far can they go?
Two fantastic goals from Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Insigne were enough for a 2-1 win to set up a semi-final showdown with Spain at Wembley.
“From the first day Italy have had a presence and knocked at the door and this is a signal to everybody that they are ready here to win the European Championship,” said former Germany striker Jurgen Klinsmann on BBC One.
But they will be without one of their stars of the tournament, left-back Leonardo Spinazzola going off in tears with an Achilles tendon injury.
‘I didn’t fancy them before the tournament’
Italy – who have not won the Euros since 1968 – have not lost a game in almost three years. They are unbeaten in 32 matches and have now won 13 in a row – only conceding twice in that time.
But before the tournament not many of those wins had come against big sides.
“I didn’t fancy them before the tournament as everyone was banging on about the run they were on, they had hardly beaten anyone, let’s see when they face the big boys,” Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We have seen that now.”
Klinsmann said: “What they showed from the attacking side was impressive. The combinations they played and the passing sequences. There was about a minute and thirty seconds where they had 25 to 30 passes and Belgium gave up and parked the bus for a minute.”
Italy’s former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini said: “We fully deserved this victory. My players were extraordinary.
“We suffered in the last 10 minutes because we were really tired. Maybe we could have even scored more goals.
“Our road is still long, we still have two games to go. Let’s enjoy this victory, we’ll see. Congratulations to the guys who have been very good.”
Old guard impress – but how much will they miss Spinazzola?
The low point of Italy’s night was the injury to left-back Spinazzola. The 28-year-old Roma defender has been one of the best players in the whole tournament.
In the BBC Sport player rater he has averaged 7.9, the third most of any player at Euro 2020.
He pulled up chasing the ball and left on a stretcher and is expected to be out for months.
Mancini said: “He was playing extraordinarily well. He was even one of the best in the Euro.”
“He has had an unbelievable tournament,” said Sutton. “He is an absolute machine, a flyer. Sometimes finely tuned machines break down. This is so sad.
“A huge player – arguably in the form of his life. He is going to be a massive, massive loss. He’s irreplaceable. They’re some boots to fill. He has been my player of the tournament.”
Sutton was impressed by Italy’s defensive resolve. They looked like a free-flowing attacking team in the group stages but had to grind the win out in Munich at times.
When Spinazzola blocked a Romelu Lukaku shot, Bonucci and captain Giorgio Chiellini celebrated with him as if it was a goal.
“We were seeing a different side of Italy. Bodies behind the ball and defending deeply,” Sutton said. “It was a different Italian side to what we have seen earlier in the tournament, it was back to the old guard – they were so impressive.
“You’d call this an Italian job.”
Klinsmann said: “They can always rely on their strong defensive DNA. When it matters to defend a result it is very difficult to break down the Italians. They know how to waste a bit of time here and there.”
Alan Shearer said: “The Italians had to use all of their know-how and experience in that last 10 or 15 minutes. The two old guys at the back were brilliant.”
End of an era for Belgium?
Belgium are ranked number one in the world in Fifa’s rankings – but fell even shorter this time than they did at the 2018 World Cup, when they reached the semis.
Their back three had an average age of 33 – and only two of the starting line-up are younger than 28.
“All the talk of a golden generation, you have to think is this the end of an era?” said Sutton.
“We talk about how good Italy were but Belgium missed two great chances through Romelu Lukaku.
“But they’re out now, they’ve got to pick themselves up.”
Kevin de Bruyne played for Belgium but revealed he had not fully recovered from his ankle injury.
“It was a miracle that I played today because there was definitely damage to my ankle. A tear in my ligaments. But I felt responsibility to play for my country today. Too bad I couldn’t do more.”
