Itlay have come a long way from what was the side that failed to even qualify for the World Cup back in 2018. The appointment of Roberto Mancini has come with plenty of silver linings with him picking up a 70% win rate which is higher than any of his predecessors. They are also on a roll, having won all ten of their qualifying games.
A deteriorating squad of aging footballers gradually evolved into a ruthless force brimming with agility, strength, and youth. Over the course of Mancini’s three years with the Italian national team, he has given international debuts to over 30 players, including highly touted midfielders Nicolo Barella, Sandro Tonali, and Manuel Locatelli, and also a wonderful defender in Alessandro Bastoni.
The Azzurri have a significant advantage because they will play their first-round games in Rome and will be the only team in Group A to do so. The Swiss, Welsh, and Turks, on the other hand, aren’t pushovers, and all three will put the Italians to the test in what looks to be a fiercely competitive group.
The Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino).
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta).
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Paris).
Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo).
Group Stage Fixtures
- Turkey vs Italy, June 11 (21:00, Rome)
- Italy vs Switzerland, June 16 (21:00, Rome)
- Italy vs Wales, June 20 (18:00, Rome)
Star Player
Ciro Immobile of Lazio is coming off a 20-goal season in Serie A, after winning the European Golden Shoe as the top scorer in European club soccer with 36 goals in 2019-20. Immobile, who is predominantly a striker, can play everywhere in the front line and is noted for his efforts off the ball to get into dangerous scoring positions as well as his goal-scoring abilities.
On the international stage, the Lazio attacker has struggled to reproduce his club prowess. Despite averaging 25 goals a season in his last five Serie A seasons, the 31-year-old striker has only 12 goals in 45 matches for his country, most of which have come against European also-rans. However, he has a chance to improve his record in the group stage against Turkey, Switzerland, and Wales.
Predicted Lineup
Goalkeeper – Gianluigi Donnarumma
Defenders – Alessandro Florenzi, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Spinazzola.
Midfielders – Nicolo Barella, Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli.
Forwards – Domenico Berardi, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne.
Predicted Finish
Italy will not go out of the tournament without a fight, thanks to their inexperienced but fearless squad. Mancini has a tremendous job ahead of him in instilling the team with the necessary conviction and self-confidence if they want to win the tournament. With the proper mix of experience and youth talent in the team, Italy have an excellent chance of making it into the Semis of the UEFA Euro 2020.
