DORTMUND — Defending champions Italy needs to kick off their Euro 2024 campaign against Albania in Group B match on Saturday in the same fashion as the last tournament, but their opponents will see this game as the perfect opportunity to make headlines.
In 2021, Italy began the Euros with a game against Turkey, a side which many had tipped as possible tournament dark horses, but the Italians romped to an emphatic 3-0 victory, and went on to top their group winning all three games.
Albania may be seen as the group’s whipping boys, but with nothing to lose, they will be out to cause an upset wherever possible, and what better chance than catching Italy cold in the opening game, Reuters reported.
Italy, like three years ago, come into the Euros without the weight of the favourites tag hanging over them, and while a win over Albania wouldn’t necessarily change people’s minds, it would give them the confidence needed for the challenges ahead.
Luciano Spalletti’s side are coming up against a team filled with many familiar faces, as 10 of Albania’s squad play their club football in Italy, and they have a manager who also has a past in the country.
Sylvinho was one of Roberto Mancini’s assistants when he managed Inter Milan, and the Brazilian, like many in the Albanian team, and the country in general, also speaks Italian, so there won’t be many secrets on or off the pitch.
Italy are still sweating on the fitness of key midfielder Nicolo Barella, and the Inter Milan man may be rested by Spalletti rather than risk his absence in the later games, while Davide Frattesi returned to regular training.
With Italy again struggling to find a goal scorer, Gianluca Scamacca looks set to be the player charged with finding the net, and against Albania he will come up against his Atalanta colleague Berat Djimsiti.
Gianluca Scamacca said that he wants to make history with Italy as the in-form striker prepares for his major tournament debut against Albania on Saturday.
Atalanta forward Scamacca is set to lead the line for the Azzurri’s first Group match of their European Championship title defence Saturday after his red-hot club form earned him a spot in the squad.
“We’re a young group in a new cycle. It took some time to get to our best but I think we’re ready. I’m ready, I want to help the team to go as far as we can,” Scamacca told reporters at Italy’s training camp.
“I would like to emulate the 2020 team who won the Euros and the 2006 team which won the World Cup,” Scamacca said according to AFP.
“Those teams are the example I want to follow because they made history and personally I want to make history with the national team.”
Scamacca is one of a host of fresh faces playing for Italy in Germany as coach Luciano Spalletti has definitively broken from the team which won the last Euros three years ago.
The 25-year-old impressed in pre-tournament win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, his first appearance for Italy since being dropped by Spalletti for matches with Venezuela and Ecuador in the United States in March.
Spalletti had railed against footballers “playing on the PlayStation until four in the morning”, a comment widely interpreted as being directed at Scamacca who has since reconquered the faith of the coach following a thrilling end to the season.
Scamacca has excelled since the start of March, netting 12 goals and setting up four more for Atalanta who won the Europa League for another attack-minded manager in Gian Piero Gasperini.
“I’m comfortable with both ways of playing because he (Spalletti) has ideas which work perfectly for me. It’s an attacking style, there’s lots of possession,” added Scamacca
“In the last few months I have been well physically, I’ve started to play with more consistency and you can see the results.”
