Euro 2024: Italy survive Albania scare

-

Italy 2 - 1 Albania

Holders Italy overcome a huge scare from group outsiders Albania.

Italy recovered from the shock of conceding the fastest goal ever scored at a European Championship to beat Albania 2-1 with Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolò Barella ensuring the defending champions made a winning start.

Such a narrow margin of defeat may prove useful to Albania’s hopes of scraping third place in the group of death. They will almost certainly need to win their next game though. Not an easy task.

Italy 2 - 1 Albania

Nedim Bajrami’s emphatic finish set a new record for the fastest goal in European Championship history, lifting the roof off a stadium that had never experienced anything like the Albanian influx, which kept the atmosphere electric throughout.

Within 23 seconds, Bajrami ensured that this already intense occasion would go down in history. It was inevitable Albania would start aggressively, spurred on by a noisy support that filled at least three-quarters of the venue. Italy wasn't ready. Left-back Federico Di Marco's throw-in, level with his own ‘D’, was aimed back towards Bastoni but fell short, allowing Bajrami to pounce and hammer it past Gianluigi Donnarumma from the corner of the six-yard box.

Italy were slow to react, but once they did, they took control.

Spalletti's men pressed energetically, regaining possession to create chances and threaten further damage. Winger Chiesa was particularly impressive, dribbling forward easily despite the number of Albanian shirts around the box. Italy were well-drilled, passing intelligently to try to pull Albania's defence out of shape, although striker Scamacca did little to impress when the ball came his way. Their attacking intent ultimately fizzled out, but the victory never looked in doubt.

Italy are a team in transition, with a new manager and a markedly different squad from Roberto Mancini's group who beat England on penalties in the last Euros final. Tough group games against Croatia and Spain remain as they look to defend their title, but Saturday's win—despite the early blip—was a strong start to their campaign.

Albanian fans have a moment to savour despite defeat.

Albania had only scored one major tournament goal before Saturday, but Bajrami's strike was special enough to provide their second. It broke a 20-year-old record, beating the 67 seconds it took Dmitri Kirichenko to score for Russia against Greece in Euro 2004.

Sylvinho's side faces a tough group, and progressing to the knockout stage looks unlikely. However, whether or not they advance, this year's tournament will hold a special place in Albanian fans' hearts for years to come, and Bajrami's record will be hard to beat.

The best reaction

Paul, a Manchester City fan from Stockport, said: "Italy proved in this game that they can be dangerous but also that they are eminently beatable."

Mark, a Rangers fan from Preston, really enjoyed this match: "That was an amazing start from Albania. However, the reaction from Italy was amazing. You can see what their boss Luciano Spalletti is trying to do. They want to control games, find the pockets, open the game up, find Federico Dimarco and Federico Chiesa. However, they have a weakness at the back. That is very unusual for them."

Popular posts from this blog

UCL: Real Madrid win the Champions League again

-
Image
Borussia Dortmund 0- 2 Real Madrid Real Madrid overcame a formidable challenge from underdogs Borussia Dortmund to secure the Champions League title at Wembley. Carlo Ancelotti made history once again with his fifth win as a manager in the competition, while Real Madrid claimed their 15th title in typical fashion. They weathered a stormy first half and several missed opportunities from Dortmund before emerging victorious. A brief summary of the match Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi missed two chances in the first half, and striker Niclas Fullkrug struck the post. Real Madrid's recalled goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, was also a formidable barrier. As expected, Real Madrid upped the ante, with Dani Carvajal nodding in a header from a corner 16 minutes from time, followed by Vinicius Jr racing clear to add a second goal. This victory crowned a glorious first season at Real Madrid for Jude Bellingham, but it was a night of disappointment for Jadon Sancho, on loan to Dortmund from Manch
Read more

Euro 2024: Germany win opening game

-
Image
 Germany 5 - 1 Scotland There were six goals in the first game of Euro 2024. Unfortunately for Scotland, they only managed one. Pictures from the Euro 2024 Opening Ceremony The atmosphere at Allianz Arena was electric right from the start. Just ten minutes in, Florian Wirtz effortlessly found the net to open the scoring. Shortly after, Jamal Musiala unleashed a powerful shot that almost broke both Angus Gunn’s net and the hearts of the stunned Scottish fans behind the goal. Before half-time, Kai Havertz made it three from the penalty spot, following Ryan Porteous’ red card which left Scotland facing an uphill battle. Substitute Niclas Fullkrug added a fourth for Germany with a high shot into the net, though Antonio Rudiger’s late deflected own goal offered a glimmer of hope for Scotland. Their joy was short-lived, however, as Emre Can silenced the Scottish supporters deep into injury time. This result marked the biggest win in the opening game of a European Championships.  Euro 202
Read more