Italy 1-0 Sweden: 5 talking points

#2 Italy’s defence one of the best in the tournament

The Juventus trio has been at their brilliant best in the tournament

Good teams are built on solid defences. Italy are a prime example of that, as a second successive clean sheet all but secured their path into the knockout stages. The back three of Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci have developed a telepathic understanding between them.

It helps Antonio Conte’s case that the trio play for the same club (Juventus). They confidently dealt with each and every cross from the flanks and kept Zlatan Ibrahimovic quiet. Their synchronizing movement across the penalty area to follow the path of the ball is a tactical plus – which doesn’t allow the opposition any space to exploit.

It was yet another fruitful day at the office for the back-line.