Euro 2020: How Italy Stole the Show in Group A and Wales Stunned All

Invulnerable Italy, wonderful Wales, scintillating Switzerland, and turgid Turkey; Euro 2020’s Group A wasn’t the most exciting, but it did provide for some amazing moments.

From Italy’s opening night thrashing of Turkey to Gareth Bale’s masterclass against the same opposition on matchday two, we analyze what went down in Group A.

Combined XI (4-3-3)

GK: Danny Ward (Wales)

Defenders: Conor Roberts (Wales), Leonardo Bonucci (Italy), Joe Rodon (Wales), Leonardo Spinazzola (Italy)

Midfielders: Aaron Ramsey (Wales), Jorginho (Italy), Manuel Locatelli (Italy)

Forwards: Gareth Bale (Wales), Ciro Immobile (Italy), Breel Embolo (Switzerland)

Wales’ outstanding defensive displays earn three from their defense a place in the combined XI of the group – including goalkeeper Danny Ward – while star men Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey also make the cut thanks to their performance against Turkey.

Jorginho – a key component of Roberto Mancini’s Italy – started all three games and put in brilliant displays as the deepest of the three midfielders, while Manuel Locatelli was the breakout star of the group.

Swiss forward Breel Embolo was the game-changer for their side and helped them secure a place in the knockouts with excellent performances. The other and last Azzurri man is the one they doubted the most, Ciro Immobile.

Group A’s Top Team

Italy

Three wins, nine points, seven goals scored, and none conceded – a perfect first stage of the tournament for Mancini’s men, who will enter the knockouts as one of the favorites.

They are confirmed to play Austria in the Round-of-16 before, possibly, facing Belgium in the quarter-finals.

Group A’s Best Moment

The opening night in Rome, the legendary Stadio Olimpico filled with eager fans, the Italians belting out their national anthem, and then an equally powerful performance against Turkey.

Euro 2020, which had been delayed a year in the midst of a raging pandemic, kicked off brilliantly in Italy – a country ravaged by the virus last year.

The Azzurri ran rampant, much to the delight of those present inside the footballing cathedral:

Leonardo Spinazzola surged down the left, Lorenzo Insigne mesmerized the Turkish defense, Nicolo Barella and Manuel Locatelli announced themselves to the world, and Ciro Immobile scored a goal on a pitch he is all too familiar with.

Those playing down Italy’s chances ahead of the tournament must know better than to count them out now. Italy are footballing royalty, and they have returned to claim their lost crown.

Group A’s Worst Moment – Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini’s injury

Giorgio Chiellini’s injury. In a remarkable double-whammy, Chiellini had a goal disallowed against Switzerland and, shortly after, limped off with an injury. The defender, 36, is in the twilight years of his career.

A career punctuated by silverware he won for his club, Juventus, but never for his national team. Despite making his debut for the Azzurri in 2004, Chiellini was not a part of the group which lifted the World Cup two years later.

One can’t help but hope that the veteran returns to make another appearance at this Euro, which is destined to be his last. When the tournament returns in three years, Chiellini will be 39.

It is hard to imagine him leading the unbreachable Azzurri defense then, although an appearance at the World Cup next year can’t be ruled out just yet.

Surprise Factor

Wales. When they qualified for the knockout stage in 2016, many saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. The fact that they have done it again is a delightful surprise.

The Welsh camp was thrown in disarray just ahead of the tournament.

Head coach Ryan Giggs was removed from the helm due to an ongoing trial, star players Bale and Ramsey had diminished since the last tournament, and to top it all, they were drawn in a difficult group against some of Europe’s more prominent footballing nations.

In light of all that, their qualification to the knockouts of Euro 2020 is all the more impressive.

How bad was the fourth-placed team?

Pretty-bad. Senol Gunes’ Turkey were thought of as the Dark Horses of the tournament.

They had conceded just thrice throughout the qualification process and beat the Netherlands 4-2 on the brink of the tournament opener.

Yet, they turned out to be huge disappointments for those at home and those hoping for a repeat of the 2002 World Cup.

Turkey scored just once – a stunner from Irfan Kahveci against Switzerland – and conceded eight times.

They finished the group with no points, and barring few phases against the Swiss, were a disappointing watch.

Group A’s Breakout Star

Manuel Locatelli is no stranger to those who follow Italian football closely. The young, dynamic midfielder has been a key figure for Sassuolo in recent years and remains one of his old clubs AC Milan’s greatest regrets.

Locatelli was brought into the Italian line-up to replace the injured Marco Verratti. He started both of the Azzurri’s first two group games at the current Euro and put in two brilliant displays.

All English Premier League

He scored twice against Switzerland in the second group game – first, putting the finishing touches to a move he had started with a wonderful pass to Domenico Berardi and second, a long-range effort.

Roberto Mancini now has a dilemma at his hands: does he stick with Locatelli – one of the revelations of the tournament – or does he drop him for the more experience Verratti?

Group A’s Best Player

Chelsea’s Jorginho is a player who often doesn’t get his fair share of plaudits. What the Regista does well goes under the radar.

On the other hand, the things he does wrong are much more pronounced, visible – a stray pass, a mistimed tackle, or getting beat in a duel. However, he barely put a foot wrong during the group stage and was the most consistent spark in a blazing Italian team.

Jorginho is also a leader on the pitch and one of Mancini’s most trusted lieutenants. Like a Generale in the middle of a battlefield, the Italian international leads his troops onwards – towards their target – with deft passes and loud instructions.