Only a few seconds had been played when Federico Dimarco took a throw-in in his own half and played it straight into the path of his opponent Nedim Bajrami. The former GC player had an easy job and hammered the ball into the near corner after 23 seconds, leaving Gianluigi Donnarumma unable to save it. It was the fastest goal ever at a European Championship finals and 1-0 for the underdog.
The Albanian fans, who clearly outnumbered the Italians in Dortmund, brought the stadium to a boil. Lorenzo Pellegrini had the chance to respond immediately, but his shot narrowly missed the goal. But it was not long before the “Squadra Azzurra” arrived in the tournament:
- 11 minutes: The Italians take a short corner, Pellegrini’s cross comes to the far post, where Alessandro Bastoni equalizes with a header from close range.
- 16 minutes: Just five minutes later, Nicolo Barella puts the favorites in the lead for the first time with a precise volley from the edge of the penalty area.
One-way football in Dortmund
As the match progressed, the Italians’ dominance grew. After Barella’s opening goal, there were no big chances on either side, with one exception: Davide Frattesi hit the post with a lob in the 33rd minute. The Italian dominance was reflected in the possession of the ball, with the Italians having 72 percent of the ball after 45 minutes.
The European champions’ superiority continued at the start of the second half. The game after the break was similar to that before the break: Italy played the ball cleanly into the penalty area, but continued to struggle to pose problems for Albania’s goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.
Italy’s game with fire
The game dragged on for long stretches and towards the final whistle. The atmosphere in the stadium, which had been excellent at the start, also faded as the game progressed. The Italians didn’t want to play any more, and the underdog with the double eagle on their chest couldn’t do any more.
The Italians’ sloppiness almost cost them dearly. In the 90th minute, Rey Manaj suddenly appeared alone in front of Donnarumma, who deflected Manaj’s shot around the post and thus prevented the late equaliser.
This is how it continues
Albania’s next match is against Croatia on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. Italy will face Spain on Thursday evening at 9:00 p.m. You can watch both matches live on SRF two.