Spain and Italy: mature twins for new victories

07/06/2021 World



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However, in 2016, it was Italy who defeated the European champions. In the eighth final of the European Championship in France, the Italians won 2-0 and formally ended the reign of the golden generation of Spanish football.

The next meeting at the top of the international soccer field had to wait five years. It is true that the Spanish faced the Italians in the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup. At that time, Spain finished in the first position, and Italy, which was second in the fight for the place in the world championship, lost. sensationally against the Swedish national team. It is true that the Spanish did not devalue the mountains in Russia either. In the eighth final, after a series of penalties, they fell on the Russian hosts of the World Cup, thus contributing to the last point in the mythical history of Spanish “tiki-taka” football.

Before this European Soccer Championship, neither the Spanish nor the Italians were favorites. This honorable title was awarded to the French world champions, and the real contenders for the crown of European champions were the Belgians, English, Germans and Portuguese.

With the start of the championship battles, everyone’s attention turned to the impressive play of the Italian team, and the Spaniards, who started in two draws, were filled with an avalanche of criticism. The Spanish team coach Luis Enrique has been criticized for the composition of the team, the players selected (and not selected), poor play and missed opportunities. Although the 5: 0 victory in the final group match against Slovakia reduced the pressure of criticism slightly, it did not dispel the doubts. They were not dissipated by the match against Croatia won in the eighth final after extra time, as well as by the lucky ticket against Switzerland, which was only tied in the quarter-final penalty shootout.

Skeptics question Spain’s ability to cross the semi-final barrier, despite Spain having the best offensive stats at the Euro. Having scored 12 goals in five games, they are the most productive team in the championship, controlling the ball in each game by up to 67.2 percent. time, he averages 861 passes per game and makes that an impressive 89.5 percent. precision. All these numbers are the best of the European Championship.

The Spanish also lead in terms of attacks (365), assists (12) and corners (41). However, the players of the Spanish national team are also leading in terms of missed opportunities, and after their hits the ball shook the opponents’ goal structure on 6 occasions. It is the inability to make effective use of the opportunities that are being created that is driving the fans of the Spanish team into despair and putting football professionals in doubt.

On the other hand, even in the statistical columns, the Italians are not far behind the Spanish. The Italians have won all five matches in the European Championship, with their winning streak in official matches reaching 15 matches. They scored 11 goals and got the ball out of their net only 2 times. Italy also likes to play with the ball, averaging 55.8 percent in each game. hour. The accuracy of their passes is 88.4%, in addition, they beat the Italians in the championship 101 times in the championship (the Spanish made 96 hits), organized 296 attacks and made 10 successful passes.

In their interactions with the media, the coaches of both teams were not inclined to throw away their favorite labels and agreed on the advantages of the rivals and the challenges ahead. “While it seems to many that Belgium has been a more threatening rival, Spain has its advantages and can create many challenges for us. All in all, the Spanish teams have always been very creative and exceptional, and this one is no exception. Although the current Spanish team is quite young, they are not without exceptional football talents, and L. Enrique has joined a real team of them, ”said Italian team strategist Roberto Mancini before the semi-final match.

For his part, L. Enrique pointed out the similarities between the two teams. “Both we and the Italians like to play with the ball for a long time, and it will be very difficult to do so in this match. The Italian game is based not only on the individual qualities of highly trained footballers, but above all on a game. of a perfectly matched team. Unlike previous Italian teams, in this championship they play very bravely, apply a lot of pressure and exploit the edges. Basically, the same is the pattern of our game. The strengths of the Italians are also our advantages, but from that point on the game will be even more interesting ”, said the strategist of the Spanish team.

However, the former captain of the Lithuanian men’s national soccer team, Aurelijus Skarbalius, is convinced that the favorite of the first semi-final to be played tonight is the Italian team. “The Italians are showing the fastest football in the championship. They not only defend well, but also attack very effectively. It is true that the Spanish will always be considered one of the potential favorites in any championship. I am not surprised that they have reached the semifinals. It may sound a bit strange, but their biggest challenge is the untapped opportunities, even though they scored 5 goals twice. But it would still give 75% of Italy going to the final, “said A. Skarbalius.

The Spanish-Italian duel at Wembley Stadium in London will begin at 10pm. You can also follow your progress on the DELFI portal.

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