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The performance of Robert Mancini’s students at the Vilnius stadium even raised questions about whether the Italian team can achieve a good result at the European Championships in the summer.
In Thursday’s numbers, the main Italian sports newspapers highlighted different things. “Italy. Big numbers,” wrote the Gazzetta dello Sport, published in Milan, in large letters on the cover.
La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted three numbers: 3, 6 and 25. The Italian team won all three matches of this qualifying tournament, did not miss a goal in the sixth consecutive match and did not lose the twenty-fifth consecutive match.
Meanwhile, Rome’s Corriere dello Sport got caught up in the Squadra Azzurra winning all three matches against weaker rivals in March without playing as millions of Italian soccer fans expected. “We only know how to win,” Corriere dello Sport wrote ambiguously on the cover. “The first half was like darkness,” added the Roman sports newspaper in the subtitle.
“In terms of the game, Italy has taken a step back,” Turin sports daily Tuttosport reported on Wednesday. – After a boring, passionless first half, the “blue” coach made the right move and let Federico Chiesa and Stefano Sensei onto the pitch. “The Juventus player gave vitality and color, the Inter player unlocked the result in the second minute of the second quarter with a great long shot.”
“Two Italian teams. Bad in the first half. In the second, more convincing and more determined. The game was as it was, but we should not be too upset at the moment. After making changes during the break, the coach converted the duck ugly in a princess ”, the newspaper Corriere della Sera saw good things.
“Mancini’s trip to Qatar could not have started better, but the three victories against low-level opponents left a different impression,” said the Italian team’s match in charge of Gazzetta dello Sport. – If during the first game the “blues” were happy for at least 45 minutes, during the next two games, especially with the Lithuanians, they did not shine. The first half was below average, the second better, but many opportunities were wasted. The referee awarded a penalty in the 94th minute, which was collected perfectly.
La Gazzetta dello Sport described the selection of our country as “carefully defended but timidly attacked”. However, according to the most popular Italian sports publication, “in fact, the Lithuanians also excited us and it was possible to calm down only after Ciro Immobile scored a penalty won by F. Chiesa.”
“The Lithuanians held and did not abandon their place, but over time it became increasingly difficult for the” blues “, wrote Corriere dello Sport.
“The Baltic team defended in a disciplined way and did not leave room for the ‘blues’ who could not penetrate the firebreaks of the rivals,” said the newspaper La Stampa the orderly defense of the Lithuanians.
In some fairly long descriptions of the match, Italian journalists mentioned the name of a single Lithuanian soccer player. It is understandable that goalkeeper Tomas Švedkauskas, who was almost in the whirlwind of events during the match, received special attention. Gazzetto dello Sport even named him best player of the match.
“In fact, the best player of the match was goalkeeper T.Švedkauskas, who saved his team at least six times,” the Corriere della Sera newspaper agreed with his teammates.
“The first number of Lithuanians seemed impenetrable. It seemed to mesmerize C. Immobile, “wrote Tuttosport. T.Švedkauskas was also highlighted by Corriere dello Sport, who called the Lithuanian goalkeeper” incredible “.
Italian footballers won all three matches of this qualifying tournament with teams from Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania with the same score 2: 0.
Under the leadership of coach R. Mancinis, the Italians have not lost 25 games. The Blues suffered their last defeat on September 10, 2018, when they lost 0: 1 to the Portuguese team in the Nations League match.
On Wednesday, Mancini repeated the result of former coach Marcello Lippis. During Lippi’s work, the “blues” also did not lose 25 consecutive games in 2004-2006.
Only one coach achieved a better result: Vittorio Pozzo, who worked before WWII. His trained national team avoided defeat in the late 1930s for 30 consecutive games.
However, even an impressive series of undefeated matches does not give much optimism for the European championships in the summer.
“Good results, great victories, the team does not miss goals and has not lost 25 matches in a row, but we cannot be sure that the renewed Italian team will play well in the European championship in June and will be among, say, the four more teams. R. Mancini is still looking for the optimal line-up, and no striker is a true team leader who can cause a lot of goals, “wrote La Repubblica newspaper after the match with the Lithuanians.
