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European champions Italy hosted Spain at the San Siro in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals on Wednesday night. Playing at home, the Azzurri were the favorites to progress to the UEFA Nations League final. Surprisingly, Italy were visibly outplayed by a much-changed, injury-struck Spain side, who took the game away in the first half itself.
Manchester City forward Ferran Torres scored the first goal for Spain in the 17th minute, converting from Mikel Oyarzabal’s excellent early cross. He doubled Spain’s tally just before the half-time whistle, this time through an excellent cushioned header. Lorenzo Pellegrini pulled one back for Italy in the closing minutes, but it only turned out to be a consolation in the end.
The 2-1 defeat marked Italy’s first loss in 37 games. The heroes of Euro 2020 were well below their standards and involuntarily contributed to the end of Italy’s world-record run.
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Today, we will take a closer look at Italy’s disappointing defeat and tell you which five players underperformed in the UEFA Nations League semi-final against Spain.
#5 Giovanni Di Lorenzo
Giovanni Di Lorenzo was Italy’s first-choice right-back for the entire Euro 2020 tournament. The Napoli man did not put a foot wrong and was instrumental at keeping top-rated attackers in check.
Surprisingly, in the UEFA Nations League semi-final, he looked like a shadow of his rock-solid self. Di Lorenzo was stretched thin by Marcos Alonso and Mikel Oyarzabal and was reduced to a helpless spectator for both goals.
Offensively, too, he was underwhelming and created nothing for Italy’s frontmen. He improved a bit in the second half after the hosts switched to a five-man system, but it was not enough to make a difference.
#4 Jorginho
European Player of the Year Jorginho was meant to be one of the standout performers against Spain. Unfortunately, he was barely visible in the match, spending the entirety of the game being outclassed by Koke and Sergio Busquets.
Neither did he misplace many passes, nor was he awful in possession. However, for a player of his caliber, someone who is a Ballon d’Or candidate, he did put on a rather forgettable show.
Jorginho was stagnant in terms of attacking as well. The Chelsea central midfielder did not get the opportunity to push forward and failed to dispatch a single shot at goal.
#3 Marco Verratti
In the UEFA Nations League semi-final clash on Wednesday night, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti registered one of his worst performances in national colours. The central midfielder has not had the best of luck when it comes to injuries and has been in and out of action over the last couple of years. He is slowly regaining his fitness, but he is still far from being at his best.
While Sergio Busquets and Koke kept Jorginho busy, it was debutant Gavi who ran circles around Verratti. The PSG man was outsmarted, outmuscled, and outskilled by the 17-year-old and he never got around to bouncing back. He endured something similar at Euro 2020 as well. Only at that time it was Pedri who taught him a lesson.
The midfielder must learn from his hapless performance on Wednesday and make sure he does not make a habit of being outclassed by teenagers.
#2 Lorenzo Insigne
With Ciro Immobile ruled out of the match, the onus was on Lorenzo Insigne to produce the goods. The Napoli winger was quite formidable through Euro 2020, which made the Italians confident of backing the 30-year-old forward.
Surprisingly, he looked overwhelmed by the pressure he was under and produced one of the worst performances in the UEFA Nations League. His movements were being thwarted time and again by Spain, and he rarely got the chance to break free. He did get one glorious opportunity to tie the game for Italy in the first half but could not keep his effort on target.
Apart from the disastrous miss, Insigne did not add anything to Italy’s attack. Moise Kean was subbed in for the 30-year-old just before the hour mark.
#1 Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini were the top two defenders at Euro 2020. Not only did they perform expertly for Italy, but they also seemed to have the answer for every forward in the tournament. Against all odds, Roberto Mancini decided to give Chiellini a break for the UEFA Nations League semi-final and paired Bonucci with Bastoni.
Without his captain, Bonucci looked out of depth on Wednesday, eventually receiving marching orders in the 42nd minute after picking up two yellow cards. He received his first yellow for dissent, which was unnecessary, to say the least. His second yellow was due to a reckless challenge on Busquets.
The Spaniard made the most of the elbow but it was an unforgivable performance for a player of his caliber. With 10 men, Italy never looked like coming back into the match and were eventually thrown out of the UEFA Nations League.
