Italy beat Wales by 1-0 at Stadio Olimpico in the final group stage game of Group A in Euro 2020.
Matteo Pessina scored the solitary goal for Roberto Mancini’s side in the first half. Ethan Ampadu was sent off for stamping on Federico Bernardeschi in the second half. But, the Azzurri could not add to the scoreline.
Following the results of the two games in Euro 2020, Italy won three of their three games and qualified for the knock-out stage as a group leader. Wales finished second ahead of Switzerland in goal difference.
Italy 1-0 Wales team news:
Mancini shuffled his squad after securing the knock-out qualification in the previous game. Alessandro Bastoni started in defence alongside Leonardo Bonucci. Matteo Pessina got a chance to showcase his talent alongside Marco Verratti. And Andrea Belotti started the game ahead of Ciro Immobile.
Wales manager Robert Page also made changes in his squad. Ethan Ampadu got a chance to play 90 minutes of international football and Liverpool youngster Neco Williams also started. The forward Kieffer Moore was given a rest for the game ahead of the knock-out phase.
Italy 1-0 Wales Post-match analysis:
Italy changed their personnel in the starting Xi, but their approach remained the same, high-press attacking football. Mancini’s side took 23 shots and six of them were on target compared to Wales’ three shots and one on target.
The Azzurri broke the deadlock in the 39th minute of the game. Verratti’s low free-kick guided towards the goal from the first post by Pessina and the ball went straight into the back of the net beyond the reach of Danny Ward.
Ampadu conceded the unnecessary red card early in the second half. In a fifty-fifty situation, Federico Bernardeschi just reached the ball ahead of the Chelsea man and he stamped on the Juventus man’s shin and the referee showed a straight red card for the challenge. The verdict could be a yellow rather than red.
Despite that, Wales got a great chance to equalise the game with 10 men against Italy. But, Gareth Bale watched his shot go way over the crossbar.
In the rest of the game, Italy created a lot of chances, however, failed to convert any of those opportunities.
Notable Performances:
Matteo Pessina: Was excellent on the day and also scored an eye-catching goal. Worked extremely hard and looked ready for action if required in the knock-out stage.
Marco Verratti: The PSG man controlled the tempo of the game and showcased his talent despite suffering knee problems in recent times.
Ethan Ampadu: Got a chance to showcase his talent on a big stage. But, by conceding the red card, he had to leave the pitch prematurely.
