Azzurri far from suffering the blues
Italy fullback Mattia De Sciglio believes that what the Azzurri lack in star quality, they more than make up for in their strength as a group.
Italy arrived at the European Championship with an ageing team that was much criticised by the media at home. But they advanced as winners of Group E with a match to spare and beat two-time defending champions Spain 2-0 in the round of 16.
Next up for Antonio Conte’s side are old foes and reigning world champions Germany.
“Conte gives us determination,” De Sciglio said yesterday. “Since we don’t have superstars like Spain and Germany, we need to put everything we have, all our effort, determination. It’s a team job. Not having individuals who can change the game, we have to help each other out and not let up for a single second.”
That strength as a group will be tested tomorrow when Italy will be without key midfielder Daniele de Rossi, who is a doubt with a thigh injury.
Italy are already missing midfielder Antonio Candreva because of injury.
As well as a battle between arguably the two best teams at Euro 2016, it will also be a standoff between the two best defences in the tournament.
Germany have yet to concede a goal, while Italy have conceded just once.
Much of that is down to Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, who play at the back for club as well as country. Meanwhile, Jerome Boateng has been a central figure in Germany’s advance to the quarter-finals of the European Championship without conceding a goal, so it’s a huge relief for his team that a calf injury won’t keep him out of tomorrow’s quarter-final .
Boateng has helped set the tone for his side at Euro 2016 — at both ends of the field.
It all started with a spectacular goal-line clearance against Ukraine when Germany was only 1-0 up. Germany went on to win the match 2-0 but it could have all been so different had Ukraine got on level terms.
Boateng then helped contain his Bayern Munich teammate Robert Lewandowski in the scoreless draw with Poland, and marshalled the backline in the 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland in the final group game.
Boateng’s defensive strengths are well-chronicled.
What’s not is his scoring prowess.
But against Slovakia in the round of 16, the 27-year-old central defender gave his side’s misfiring attack a helping hand by opening the scoring with his first international goal in 63 appearances.
There have been some concerns that a calf injury would mean he miss the encounter.
“The calf is very well and good for Saturday,” he said.
Boateng’s participation in Euro 2016 had been in doubt earlier this year after he suffered a muscle injury to his left leg in January.
Boateng insists that he won’t change the way he plays even though another yellow card would see him suspended from any potential semifinal.
“I’ll go in like I always go in,” he said.