For the final time in this tournament, Italy hosted a match at the Stadio Olimpico in Roma. Marco Pessina’s lone goal was enough for a makeshift Azzurri side to beat the resilient 10-man Wales, and ending the group stage with a perfect score. So here are our player ratings for the encounter between Italy and Wales.
Italy XI
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6.5
A slow day in the day office for the 22-year-old goalkeeper who barely had to intervene throughout the match, and was given the final five minutes off. But it must be said that his footwork is slowly improving.
Rafael Toloi – 6.5
The Atalanta man looked mostly solid whilst being deployed at right-back. Kept Daniel James at bay, and tried to support the attacks at times.
Leonardo Bonucci – 6
The captain of the night was only given 45 minutes of play before being rested after the interval. Easily marshalled the backline, but his passing wasn’t always accurate.
Alessandro Bastoni – 6.5
The young Inter defender was given the chance to prove his worth for Italy, and generally did well. Supported the strikers with some sublime long balls, and was solid at the back – although he overcommitted to the challenges at times.
Emerson Palmieri – 5.5
Following Leonardo Spinazzola’s strong performances in the first two matches, the Italo-Brazilian will find it hard to earn a starting berth with his display. Bastoni stepped over his toes with his attacking support, and he only made himself noticed offensively on a couple of occasions.
Matteo Pessina – 7
The Atalanta midfielder disappeared from the match at times, nonetheless, he delivered when it mattered the most, as his brilliant flick sent the ball home, which turned out to be the difference between the two sides. Almost scored with another run to the box few minutes afterwards.
Jorginho – 7.5
A formidable display from the Chelsea man who was one of the few players who maintained their starting berths in Roberto Mancini’s lineup. Controlled the play from his deep position, and made a vital interception on Aaron Ramsey. His chemistry with Verratti is ever-growing.
Marco Verratti – 7.5
The PSG star made his return from injury with a fabulous performance. Won and delivered the freekick that led to Pessina’s goal, and caused havoc for the Welsh whenever he had that ball at his feet.
Federico Chiesa – 6.5
The Juventus man was handed his first start of the tournament, and was eager to prove himself on the big stage. Made some thrilling runs and tried to score by himself at times, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
Andrea Belotti – 6
The Torino striker fought hard against the big Welsh defenders, and came close to scoring at times, but he’ll be expected to hand his starting position back to Ciro Immobile in the knockout stages.
Federico Bernardeschi – 7
The winger once again looked like a completely different player from the one who’s been struggling at Juventus for years. Won the ball several times with his energetic trackbacks, caused a red card for Ethan Ampadu, and struck the post with his freekick attempt.
30 – Italy have now equaled their best unbeaten run: 30 straight games without defeat between 1935 and 1939 under Vittorio Pozzo. Unstoppable.#ItalyWales #ITAWAL pic.twitter.com/acnsfCG84q
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) June 20, 2021
Italy Substitutes
Francesco Acerbi – 5.5
The left-footed defender was deployed on the less-familiar right side of the defense, and failed to intercept the ball as Ramsey almost pounced on the opportunity. But looked solid besides that incident.
Bryan Cristante – N/A
Giacomo Raspadori – N/A
Gaetano Castrovilli – N/A
Salvatore Sirigu – N/A
