Spain knock Italy down in Milan, will play Nations League final
The match: 1-2
Three months after its elimination in the semi-finals of the Euro (1-1, 2-4 tab), Spain took revenge on Italy. La Roja won brilliantly at San Siro, where the Nazionale had not lost for 93 years (28 games). The list of absentees was nevertheless impressive on the Spanish side (Brais Mendez, Pedri, Alba, Carvajal, Soler, Thiago, Olmo, Morata, Moreno, Marcos Llorente, Ansu Fati), but the holders responded, especially technically.
In Manchester City’s last three games in the Premier League, and against PSG in the Champions League, Ferran Torres scored twice (17th, 45th + 2). That makes him a total of eleven but in the last fifteen selections! The experience of Busquets and the recklessness of beginner Gavi completely extinguished the opposing midfielder. The 17-year-old and 62-day-old Barcelona player, who became the youngest Spanish international in history, was very good in the activity (record of kilometers traveled and duels contested) and his choices (33 successful passes out of 35 in the camp negative). A magnificent double decisive passer, Mikel Oyarzabal, however, lacked success against goal: Bastoni countered him in the 22nd and he did not frame his header from the 63rd.
After forcing Unai Simon to a horizontal in the 5th, Chiesa allowed Pellegrini to save the honor (83rd) by taking advantage of a mistake by Pino. Deprived of Immobile (injured), the reigning European champions still lacked efficiency. Di Lorenzo missed the frame with his head (28th), Bernardeschi saw Simon push back his shot on the post (34th), and Insigne opened his right foot too much (35th) … The Italians, beaten for the first time since 37 matches, let Spain play the final of the League of Nations on Sunday against France or Belgium.
22
It has been 22 years since Italy lost an official competitive home game. The last time was on September 8, 1999, against Denmark (2-3). In their history, the Nazionale have lost just 4 times in 145 official competitive home games.
The man: Donnarumma had a bad evening
He was not “ not welcome In Milan, as one could read on the signs around San Siro. Guilty of leaving the Rossonero club free to join PSG, Gianluigi Donnarumma was whistled throughout the match by the 37,000 spectators. He expected it, but it visibly disturbed him. In the 19th minute he totally soaped up a cross shot from Marcos Alonso, who ended up on the post and was cleared on the line by Bonucci. Two minutes later, the 22-year-old signed a complicated aerial intervention as he entered his box. And his recovery was failing (48th, 90th + 5). To his credit, a duel won against the excellent Alonso, in the 79th. Insufficient.
The turning point: Bonucci sent off in the first period
Led 0-1 but still dangerous, Italy found themselves ten before the break. In the 41st, in the fight for an aerial ball, Leonardo Bonucci looked at where Sergi Busquets was placed before jumping elbow forward and hitting the Spaniard in the jaw. Already warned in the 31st for dispute, the Juventus player left the field with tears in his eyes. Di Lorenzo replaced him in the axis and Bernardeschi retreated to temporarily occupy the right wing of the defense: a tinkering that lasted four minutes. In the 45th, Ferran Torres scored the goal of the break.