Euro 2020: Belgium vs Italy - 3 crucial factors to watch out for
Italy are going to take on Belgium in the quarter final of Euro 2020 in Munich tomorrow night. Both teams have won each of the four matches they have played so far at Euro 2020.
Thus, it is going to be a mouth-watering clash between two in-form teams. Italy, who won the tournament in 1968, are unbeaten in their last 30 matches under Roberto Mancini and that is a staggering record by any standard.
Belgium, on the other hand, are the no. 1 team in the world according to the FIFA rankings. They knocked out defending champions Portugal in their Euro 2020 Round of 16 clash. Both teams will fancy their chances of securing a victory and it should be a keenly contested match.
On that note, we are going to take a look at the three factors which might determine the fate of the match:
Euro 2020: Factors to consider in Belgium vs. Italy quarterfinal match
#1 Clash between Belgium’s much vaunted attack and Italy’s famous defence:
Belgium’s lethal attacking triumvirate consisting of Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne will have their task cut out against Italy’s resolute defense led by Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
Italy have conceded only one goal at Euro 2020 so far and their goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was hardly tested in the group stages. Belgium, on the other hand, have scored eight goals at Euro 2020, and have one of the best attacks in the world.
However, injuries suffered by De Bruyne and Eden Hazard might reduce Belgium's effectiveness in tomorrow’s match. Still, it would be an absorbing clash between the experienced Italian centre-backs and Belgium’s front three.
Lukaku would start as a right winger, but would invariably move to the center to combine with De Bruyne, who would start as the false nine.
De Bruyne would drop back a bit at times to play passes and create moves from the middle third as well. Therefore, Jorginho would have to play a vital role in containing De Bruyne and snatching balls from him in the midfield.
Lukaku, who plays in Serie A, should also prove to be quite a handful with his size, strength and ability to turn and shoot fast. The Italians are capable of defending desperately in the penalty box and would have to be at their best to stop Lukaku.
#2 Goal scorers galore:
Both Belgium and Italy have had their fair share of goal scorers at Euro 2020. They have scored eight and nine goals, respectively, in this tournament so far and those goals have come from different sources.
Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, Manuel Locatelli, Matteo Pessina and Federico Chiesa have all scored for the Azzuri. Romelu Lukaku, Thorgan Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne have found the net for the Red Devils.
Lukaku has finally lived up to expectations in a major tournament and is among the leading goal scorers with 3 goals at Euro 2020. He will definitely try to score another goal tomorrow to catch up with the Czech Republic’s Patrick Schick.
Thorgan Hazard has also managed to score a couple of goals at Euro 2020 to come out of the shadow of Eden, his elder brother. His match-winning goal against Portugal was delightful to watch, and he would like to trouble Donnarumma with his rasping right-footers as well.
On the other hand, Immobile has done his job with a couple of goals and Locatelli has also found the net twice at Euro 2020. The latter has impressed with his surging runs into the opposition penalty box and will look to increase his tally against Belgium. In a nutshell, the match might turn out to be a high-scoring one.
#3 Italy’s remarkable bench-strength:
Italy can boast of enviable bench-strength at Euro 2020, a desirable trait in tournament football. Football is a squad game and Roberto Mancini has the liberty to call upon quality footballers from his bench to fill almost every position. Francesco Acerbi has replaced an injured Chiellini in the last couple of matches and done his job really well.
Mancini also has a selection dilemma in midfield, as he has to choose any one from among Marco Veratti, Manuel Locatelli and Matteo Pessina. Nicolo Barella and Jorginho are almost certain to start in the other two positions in a three-man midfield. Veratti’s astute passing and Locatelli’s goal-scoring prowess give Mancini some nice options.
Dominico Berardi has also caught the eye with his performances at Euro 2020 as a right-winger, but Italy have an even more skillful option in the form of Federico Chiesa on the right flank.
Chiesa’s dribbling skills and ability to cut in from the right flank makes him a very good player to have in the squad. It also has to be remembered in this context that he scored the match-winner against Austria in the Euro 2020 Round of 16 clash.
Mancini will probably start with Berardi again, but Chiesa also deserves to have some game time in tomorrow’s match.