James Horncastle and more Jul 5, 2021 47
There was a time when watching Spain gave you whiplash. Your eyes quickly grew tired flitting from player to player hundreds and hundreds of times and you were left feeling sorry for their opponents as they chased the long shadows under the lights at the Bernabeu and the Nou Camp when the ball moved at breakneck speed, fizzing and popping like bubbles in a flute of crisp cava.
The midfield was Spain’s strength when they last won the European Championship in 2012 and it’s probably their best chance of winning the competition next Sunday, too. But unlike in Ukraine nine years ago, when Spain did to Italy what Picasso did to his muses, disarranging their profiles beyond all recognition to win the final 4-0, the tables have unexpectedly turned.
Built from the back out? Not this Italy
Successful Azzurri teams of the past were known for their all-world defence, but at Euro 2020, Roberto Mancini s Italy plans to contend with its sterling midfield.
ESPN Marco Verratti , Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images
Forget the old stereotypes. Successful Azzurri teams of yesteryear were known for uncompromising A-list defenders (think Fabio Cannavaro, Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi or Gaetano Scirea) and lethal strikers (Paolo Rossi, Roberto Baggio, Pippo Inzaghi or Francesco Totti). Not this team. This one is all about the midfielders, a category that with some notable exceptions hasn t been Italy s strong suit in past tournaments.