In the end, they really had to do again what they have been known to do for decades, self-sacrificing, with the use of long-exhausted forces. The last minutes of the quarter-final against Belgium in Munich were running on Friday evening when Italy’s national team withdrew far into their own half. Organized by Giorgio Chiellini, the 36 year old captain who has been defending for ages, they blocked the path to their gate until it was done.
At the final whistle, when the goals from Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Insigne meant victory, it briefly sounded like the Italians had a home game in Monaco di Baviera, although the Belgians apparently had traveled in larger numbers. But it was the Italians who sang now because they had beaten the favorites with 2: 1 (2: 1). With a football full of esprit, which has now finally proven itself with the entry into the semi-finals of the European Championship, where they meet Spain.
According to its class, the game was worthy of a final from the start, it was a footballing spectacle. So far, the Belgians had mainly played effectively in the tournament, used few chances, countered. On Friday, it seemed, they played with their sights open for the first time, eager to attack. After just a few minutes, they had hit several corners in front of the goal, behind which the Belgian supporters had gathered, deliberately disregarding the distance rules.
The longer the game lasted, the more the Belgians have to storm
“Ooh, Kevin De Bruyne,” they sang in honor of their playmaker whose use had been in question. The Manchester City midfielder injured his ankle in the 1-0 round of 16 against Portugal, but he still started playing, unlike Eden Hazard, who hadn’t made it into the squad. De Bruyne made his first appearance after 22 minutes, a catch, then he shot, Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Italian goal had to stretch. Four minutes later, De Bruyne also found Romelu Lukaku, the striker he gets along with so well. The goalkeeper parried again.
But soon after that the Italians sang their anthem in the stadium during the first half. The first Italian cheers were still in vain, Leonardo Bonucci had been sidelined before he pushed the ball over the line in the 13th minute, which the video assistant corrected. After 31 minutes, the Italians then constricted the opponent for the first time in their own half, rather in their own sixteen. Marco Verratti won the ball on the edge of the box and passed it on to Nicolo Barella, who twisted around Belgian defender’s legs and hit. It became proof of a great game by the 24-year-old from Inter Milan.
Romelu Lukaku (far back) does not put the ball in the Italian goal.
(Photo: Stuart Franklin / AP)
On the side of the Italians, who had already reached the quarter-finals with such surprisingly rapid attacking football, captain Chiellini had returned to the starting line-up, he had missed the last sixteen. They were armed to defend this time with all their might. But first of all it was the offensives that made their appearance.
Federico Chiesa, scorer of the decisive goal in extra time against Austria, was in the starting line-up this time, just missing from distance after 41 minutes. Four minutes later, Lorenzo Insigne dribbled in the direction of the Belgian penalty area, the only 1.63 meter tall attacker from Naples with movements like wasp stings. He flicked the ball into the goal from a distance, where no goalkeeper can keep it, not even the strong Belgian Thibaut Courtois. Insigne hardly seemed to know what to do with his joy, he only stopped at the center line after his jubilee run.
Lukaku trips the ball past the goal – and stays there for the time being
Belgium were by no means beaten, and before the break they came back with a controversial penalty. Jeremy Doku, the Eden Hazard replacement on the wing, the youngest in the squad at 19, fell after Di Lorenzo touched him lightly. Lukaku scored coolly, it was his fourth tournament goal.
The longer the game lasted, the more the Belgians had to storm, this highly talented selection of players from the country’s golden generation who wanted to take one of their last chances to win the first title at this European Championship. It was often faster than Doku, including in the 61st minute, De Bruyne brought the ball into the middle, but Lukaku stumbled past the goal. Next to it he stayed lying for the time being. Ten minutes later he jumped past a flank, it wasn’t his game. And it wasn’t the Belgians’ game either.