SEMI-FINALS
France 1-1 Italy*
(1-1 after extra time, Italy win 4-2 on penalties)
Mbappé 96’
Bonucci 119’
Eamonn Foster
Wembley Stadium, London, England
Tuesday 7th July
Three gruelling hours after the start of this first semi-final to be played at Wembley Stadium, Italy finally made it into Sunday’s Euro 2020 final, in which they will face either Germany or Spain, guaranteeing an enticing final between two of football’s true heavyweights. For the reigning world champions, France, it is with immense disappointment and frustration that they have no further say in the outcome of this tournament and fly back to Paris without the silverware that so many had backed them to deliver.
The manner of the defeat will do little to comfort the French. Whilst they were kept at bay for the initial ninety minutes by typically watertight Italian defending, inspired by the at-times possessed central pairing of Daniele Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini and a handful of fine stops by the Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Deschamps’ side will, for as long as this tournament stays in the memory, rue that they could not break the Italian deadlock sooner than the sixth minute of extra-time and will be furious at themselves for allowing the Italians to equalize when their place in Sunday’s final was just ninety seconds away. As for the missed penalty which ultimately decided it, blazed well over the crossbar by Olivier Giroud, well, the sooner it is forgotten the better.
For the first fifteen minutes today there was a palpable sense in Wembley stadium that the French might just blow the Italians away; Antoine Griezmann’s early touches suggested he could be at his mesmerizing best, the tournament’s leading goalscorer Kylian Mbappé gave the impression that he could stretch the Italian backline without breaking a sweat and the synchronized running of Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi and N’Golo Kante and the way they moved the ball around made it rather difficult to even work out who was meant to be playing in the middle for Italy. It was Griezmann, on two occasions, who came closest to giving the French an early lead. The first chance was an instinctive half-volley on the back of a Bonucci block which whistled just over the crossbar whilst barely two minutes later he slid in at the back post to meet an inviting curling cross from the left by Mbappé and whilst his connection was impressive his effort only made the side-netting. Still, there was the feeling that it was a question of 'when' rather than ‘if’ for the French.
Roberto Mancini’s players withheld the early French storm and rallied one another with stern words and lots of backslapping and, it should be added, more than a few words in the ear of referee Mark Clattenburg. Whilst the English referee appeared to dismiss the Italian remonstrations and advice, he did aid the Italian cause significantly when he blew up for a questionable free-kick, which prevented Mbappé from bearing down alone on the Italian goal, after Pogba stole the ball from the Italian midfielder Marco Veratti with what appeared to be the most minimal of contact. Pogba protested in vain and his mood did not improve five minutes later when he was adjudged to handle the ball before playing in Olivier Giroud, who buried the ball home first-time in classy fashion. Fortunately for the officials, the whistle had already been blown before Giroud hit the ball past Donnarumma who had merely placed his hands on his hips, passively allowing the ball to fly past him, so sure was he that Pogba had committed an infringement.
As the French became more frustrated, and fumbled more and more in their advances on the Italian backline, the Italians grew more comfortable, delighting in the opportunity to repel the world champions.
Whilst Mancini’s side cruised through the group stage, seeing off Turkey and Switzerland allowing a second-string side to play out a goalless draw with Wales in the final match, their matches in the knockout stages have not been so comfortable. It took until the 85th minute before they were able to find the net against a difficult Ukranian side in the last sixteen whilst it took two huge slices of good fortune from VAR debacles against Sweden on Sunday to help them progress to today’s semi-final.
So today’s match was the first match of the tournament in which Italy were not automatically handed the tag of favourites and as the first half wore on the Italians embraced their underdog status more and more and with each stifled French attack drew more and more confidence and desire to be today’s enfant terrible and send the world champions packing.
Still, few believed it really possible each time Mbappé or Griezmann got on the ball. The two forwards are rightly heralded as two of the finest talents in the modern game and they continued to make the Italians sweat throughout. Intertwining and sprinting and swerving and pressing; the Italian rearguard of Bonucci and Chiellini, aged 33 and 35 respectively, had their work cut out. Still, half-time was reached and the Wembley scoreboard indicated that the sides were in fact still level.
The second-half was more balanced. Italy took heart from the fact they were keeping the majestic French attack at bay and French frustration at the wasted chances resulted in a couple of lapses of concentration which gave Italy real chances to take the lead. Ciro Immobile, encouraged by two goals against Sweden after a frustrating tournament on a personal level, caught Benjamin Pavard napping and tested Hugo Lloris from the edge of the box before edging a tussle with Blaise Matuidi which allowed the ball to run to the diminutive Nicolò Barella, who struck first-time and saw his effort tipped just over the crossbar by the Tottenham goalkeeper. Lloris berated his teammates for allowing the Italians such opportunities. Pogba told him where to go; Deschamps watched on from the touchline, arms folded, hoping this one was not getting away from his side.
The French were flustered and the final half-hour saw Bonucci and Chiellini, aided by the impressive Alessandro Florenzi and Cristiano Viraghi in the full-back positions, deal with every France attack with real zeal. As the Italians resisted, the French looked increasingly to Mbappé to find a way through. Mbappé came close a couple of times but ultimately there would be no such luck. Clattenburg blew for the end of ninety minutes: there would now be extra-time.
Perhaps a feeling that the Italians were destined to spoil the party gave way to a moment of complacency as Biraghi played a backpass to Donnarumma when surely it would have been simpler to play the ball upfield. Donnarumma, in turn, also passed up the opportunity to go simple and pulled off a Cruyff turn on the edge of his own box to deceive the approaching Griezmann. Whilst the execution was impressive, his subsequent distribution was not, miscuing what was meant to be a long punt but which instead went no further than his centre-back Chiellini, who had Mbappé in hot pursuit. Mbappé was quick enough to dispossess the ruffled centre-half and within seconds was facing up to a one-on-one with Donnarumma. It was a gift which Mbappé seized, rolling the ball past the goalkeeper and racing off to celebrate in the corner, arms folded and a relieved smile which suggested that glory was in sight. France made it to half-time of extra-time looking confident.
The second half of extra-time saw Italy trying to get onto the front foot but looking like they had forgotten how to do so. Lorenzo Insigne did his best to support Immobile in attack but France appeared unwilling to comply. Moussa Sissoko was introduced to give extra weight to the French midfield with Griezmann substituted after 110 minutes of hard running. One player on the Italian side who struggled to get into the game was Federico Chiesa, who after four goals in the opening two matches will have had his eye on the unlikely feat of winning the tournament’s golden boot. The rest afforded to him for the final group game, though, appears to have halted his momentum.
It is of course, as the saying goes, not over until the Fat Lady sings. And Italy were not yet finished. With France only one minute away from victory an uncharacteristically clumsy touch from Mbappé afforded Italy hope in the form of a corner. Mancini allowed Donnarumma to sprint upfield to join Chiellini, Bonucci and Biraghi in attacking the corner. As the Italians roared encouragement to their team from the stands, fearful glances were exchanged by their French counterparts. Pogba and Lloris continued to bicker. The referee called for order in the penalty area. Chiellini nodded like an obedient little altar server. The corner was sent in by Insigne. Chiellini connected, albeit weakly. The ball hit the chest of Sissoko, arms raised for a millisecond with pleads of handball before Giroud went to clear. His clearance, to French dismay, went no further than the back of the legs of Matuidi, who was stood only a yard away and it was Leonardo Bonucci, Italy’s saviour against Ukraine, and the man who many feel should have been sent off against Sweden in the quarter-final, who reacted first, smashing the ball past Lloris and sprinting off to the corner flag in delirious celebration. The French slumped to the ground.
So it was to be penalties to decide who would contest Sunday’s Euro 2020 final. As both sides prepared themselves for the cruel decider that is the shoot-out, the Italians were buoyant while it was left to the French coaching staff and substitutes to try and raise the spirits of the deflated, exhausted French players.
In the shootout, the Italians struck first, with Insigne making no mistake. Mbappé levelled the scores with a lovely side-footed strike but his face bore the look of a worried man. Jorginho, only introduced in extra-time, slotted home the second for Italy. Matuidi was the first to falter for France, hitting a weak penalty which was parried away by the galvanized Donnarumma. Immobile compounded the French worries by slamming a penalty into the roof of the net. Pogba stepped up next for France and was smart enough to keep his run-up and strike simple yet effective, calmly sending Donnarumma the wrong way and offering the French hope. Bonucci, in turn, clearly thriving in his role as Italian talisman, stepped up next and his penalty was emphatic, flying into the top corner and meaning the French had to score next to maintain any hope. That responsibility fell to the usually dependable Giroud. It was not Giroud’s day, however, and he put his foot so hard through a ball which went sailing over the crossbar and can probably now be found somewhere in Clapham Common.
The world champions are out of Euro 2020. One of Italy, Germany or Spain will be European champions on Sunday. And the Italians will not roll over for anybody- that much we already know.
Man of the Match: Leonard Bonucci