If good morning starts in the morning ... Italy starts strong in this delayed edition of Euro 2020, winning 3-0 against Turkey and sending a very important message to all the competitors: it is also there for the final victory, waiting, of course, for other people's responses. A net success that of the Azzurri, sanctioned above all in terms of play, where the superiority over the Turks was clear and incontestable, from any point of view. Tactical, given the surrender of men of Sun, forced from the beginning into an ultra-defensive match, but above all with character and technique, in the light of a dominance that was too superior to pass over in silence.
Mancini, aware that the Turks would build the barricades, had first of all thought of keeping the ball, aware that, come on, the red wall would have fallen: that's how it happened, so much so that in the final he was even able to afford the luxury of doing a little ' of turnover, evidently already thinking from a Swiss point of view. Today, however the match in Baku between the Swiss and Wales goes (15 pm), the Azzurri will look down on everyone, aware that they have sent a very important signal to the competition, without exception.
“We played a good game, even in the first half where we didn't score – commented Mancini -. Message to the other teams? It was important to start well, it's a great satisfaction for all Italians. I hope for many more evenings like this, there are only six games left at Wembley…”. “We did our duty, we had to start very well and we did it – echoed Ciro Immobile -. Winning 3-0 in front of the fans and seeing them happy was wonderful, we dedicate it to all the people who have suffered and continue to suffer from this cursed virus".
In short, all's well that ends well, but woe to thinking that the match was like drinking a glass of water. Throughout the first half, Turkey kept the pitch perfectly, only running dangers from set pieces and from Insigne's crooked shot. At the start of the second half, however, thanks to the Azzurri's insistence, here was the decisive play, capable of shattering the Turkish wall into a thousand pieces, albeit with a little luck: a cross from Berardi and unfortunate deviation of Demiral, for the 1-0 blue (53').
From then on, another game began, with Turkey forced to change strategy and Italy to take advantage of it, like a shark that smells blood. The first bite came in the 66th minute with Property, rapacious in taking advantage of a short clearance by Çakir on a shot by Spinazzola, the second scored instead Insigne, surgical in the classic "round right" after a liberating touch by Ciro himself (79').
A clear, total 3-0, which leaves no room for recriminations of any kind, and which indeed ends up enhancing, even beyond measure, the performance of the Azzurri, who reached the 28th useful result consecutive, the ninth without conceding a goal. The feeling of a very competitive Italy remains, but woe to think that the road can be all downhill: even yesterday, in fact, up until Demiral's own goal, we saw the team's difficulties in unhinging closed defences, a script that he risks repeating himself both on Wednesday with Switzerland and on Sunday against Wales.
Mancini knows this well, so we can bet that he will keep his feet on the ground, or at least he will try. Because from today, obviously, the others will also look at this Italy with different eyes, capable of winning, and convincing, as a few times before, almost completely eliminating the so-called surprise effect, especially in the European arena.
