Once again winner 3-0 over Switzerland on Wednesday evening and first to qualify for the round of 16, Italy impresses.
But our consultants do not see the Squadra azzura at the same level as France.
Italy wasted no time: five days after having kicked off the Euro, the "Nazionale" became Wednesday, thanks to its success against Switzerland (3-0), the first team to qualify for the round of 16.
Two wins, six points, six goals scored and none conceded: Italy, absent from the last World Cup in Russia, does not miss its return to the international scene.
Against Switzerland, it chained a 29th match without defeat and is only one length of the record established by its predecessor from 1935 to 1939. But if it impresses, Italy remains, for our consultants, that an outsider of this Euro.
Roberto Mancini's "paw"
"It's solid. What's interesting is that they haven't conceded a goal in ten matches. They have a solid defensive end and you have the feeling that the more the Euro advances, the more the Italians are. in confidence ", admitted Laurent Fournier, consultant of Europe 1. Aline Riera abounds. The former professional player, also a consultant on Europe 1, sees behind the game of Italy the leg of Roberto Mancini, the coach. "They have a very energy-intensive game, and at the same time, the fact of being immediately concerned with the recovery of the ball to its loss means that we are always very high in the field. We do less running towards our goal for defend and we stay very close to the opposing goal, "she analyzes in the Europe 1 Football Club.
"That's something that is really Mancini's, this counter-pressing right away, and this desire to seek the solution forward fairly quickly, to work well on the sides, to never let go when you are on a high point ".
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So yes, Italy is on an impressive series, it has just scored six goals without conceding a single one in two games, but Laurent Fournier wants to qualify the picture. "It was Switzerland," he slips first, before comparing the Italians to our Blues. "Individually and collectively, [the French] are better", slice our consultant, who wants to see the Italians go "as far as possible to meet the French". It will not a priori be before the semi-finals, or even possibly the quarterfinals if the French finished third in their group (according to the ranking of the best third). And if, of course, the two teams are still in the race ...