Netherlands 0-1 Italy: 5 Hits and Flops as Azzuri trump Dutch | UEFA Nations League 2020-21

#3 Hit - Nicolo Barella

Netherlands v Italy - UEFA Nations League

The diminutive Inter Milan midfielder has made a habit of scoring important goals from midfield, and he was once again in the right place at the right time, when the situation demanded it.

He was never really going to win a header against either Nathan Ake or van Dijk, so it was important that he timed his movement in the box to perfection. When Immobile crossed to him, Barella found just the right moment to sneak in between the two Dutch defenders and power a header past Jasper Cillessen in the Dutch goal.

Barella was also the real trigger for what was a very effective Italian press. He negated the effect of Frenkie de Jong on the ball, and that meant that the Netherlands couldn't really progress with the ball in central areas, which would have been a key game-plan for them, with both the Barcelona man and Donny van de Beek starting there.

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#2 Flop - Memphis Depay

Memphis Depay cut a frustrated figure for most of the game

The tricks and flicks that spectacularly came off against Poland just didn't work for Memphis Depay in this game, as the experience of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci proved to be a little too much for him to handle.

The Dutch talisman had a chance at the end of the game, when a Denzel Dumfries cross found him unmarked at the far-post. Instead of focusing on controlling and striking the ball as well as he could, Memphis went for the spectacular, but his scissor kick was not executed well enough, and gave Gianluigi Donnarumma no problems in Italian goal.

He also unnecessarily talked his way into being given a yellow card by German referee Felix Brych. That yellow card followed a caution that he received in the game against Poland, and means that he will now miss the Netherlands's next game in the Nations League against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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#1 Hit - Manuel Locatelli

Manuel Locatelli had an international debut to remember

On his international debut, Locatelli put in a performance to remember, as he was a key player in executing Roberto Mancini's game-plan as well it turned out during the game. With Jorginho the deep-lying midfielder, and Barella given the license to get into attacking areas at times, Locatelli's role was to bring discipline and control to the midfield, and he did that to perfection.

In Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek, the Dutch lined up with two excellent ball players in the middle of the park, and if Italy were going to have joy in this game, they needed to shut down those two in midfield, especially the runs of van de Beek.

Locatelli was the man tasked with handling the new Manchester United signing, and he did his job to perfection. When he was replaced by Bryan Cristante late in the game, Locatelli had done his job, with the Netherlands resorting to hoofing the ball up-field by the time he left the pitch.