On Wednesday night, The San Siro Stadium witnessed the end of the greatest unbeaten streak in the history of international football as Spain beat Italy in the first Semi Final fixture of the UEFA Nations League. Ferran Torres broke the deadlock in the first half, and just when the Azzurri were pushing hard for an equalizer, Leonardo Bonucci was dismissed for a second yellow, and the Manchester City youngster grabbed his personal brace in the aftermath. A late counter attack from Federico Chiesa and Lorenzo Pellegrini revived the hosts’ hopes, but it proved to be too little too late as it ended 2-1 in favor of the visitors. So here are our Player Ratings for the big clash between Italy and Spain.
Italy XI
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6.5
A mixed bag for the PSG goalkeeper who endured a tough night under the whistles of the Milan supporters. Almost gave away a goal with a botched catch, but denied a third Spain strike with a world class save on Oyarzabal.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6
The Napoli right-back left some space behind him on several occasions in the first half, with the first goal of the match being an example. Looked sharper after the break and pulled off a brilliant sliding interception.
Leonardo Bonucci – 4
The captain was given his marching orders at the 40th minute after earning a yellow card for objecting the ref’s decisions and a second for an elbow on Busquets, subsequently ending his team’s chances in the match. The vastly experienced defender should have avoided the red card at all costs.
Alessandro Bastoni – 5.5
The young defender failed to intercept the cross ahead of the first goal. Fared better after the introduction of Chiellini.
Emerson Palmieri – 6
A decent display from the Lyon left-back who put Insigne on goal with sublime ball to the box. Looked mostly solid at the back against Sarabia, but he lost Torres on the second goal.
Nicolò Barella – 5.5
The Inter man ran hard in the first half but didn’t add much to the Azzurri overall.
Jorginho – 6
A hard working display from the Regista. Played some good balls forward and massively helped in the pressing.
Marco Verratti – 6
The talented midfielder started on a slow note but grew into the match later on. Had the better of Gavina at times but the midfield battle was a lost cause for Italy overall.
Federico Bernardeschi – 6
The winger’s night was cut short as Roberto Mancini sacrificed him in favor of his Juventus teammate Chiellini following Bonucci’s dismissal. Almost scored the equalizer with low drive but was denied by Simon. Acted as a right-back shortly but allowed Oyarzabal enough space to create the second goal.
Lorenzo Insigne – 5
The Napoli captain operated as a false 9 in the absence of Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti, but wasted two good chances to score, including an absolute sitter.
Federico Chiesa – 7
The Juventus star remains the main source of danger for Italy. Tested Simon with the first real chance of the match, and created Pellegrini’s goal almost out of nothing with his sheer pace and determination.
Italy Substitutes
Giorgio Chiellini – 6.5
The original captain played in an unusual role as the right center back, but his introduction added solidity to the backline despite the numerical disadvantage.
Manuel Locatelli – 5.5
Tried to make a difference but committed too many fouls.
Moise Kean – 5.5
Provided a more physical presence for Italy in the final third, but his touch was too heavy at times.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 6.5
The Roma captain sprinted to accompany Chiesa on the swift counter attack and was rewarded with the easiest of finishes.
Davide Calabria – N/A
Caps needed to score 11 goals for Spain:
◎ Fernando Torres – 31
◉ Ferran Torres – 21And they both put one past a Gigi in the Italy goal. ? pic.twitter.com/G5lAzJXzl1
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 6, 2021
Spain XI
Unai Simon – 7.5
A wonderful performance from the Spanish shot-stopper who denied Chiesa and Bernardeschi in the first half and was always alert to clear the danger.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 6
A Solid if unspectacular performance from the Chelsea captain, although he was troubled by Emerson at times.
Pau Torres – 6
The Villarreal man left some space behind him at times, and was one of the culprits in Italy’s goal.
Aymeric Laporte – 6.5
A mostly comfortable performance from the center back who offered a solid presence at the back.
Marcos Alonso – 7
The former Fiorentina man was supposed to be the weak link at the back, but he managed to put on a solid shift and burst forward to support his teammates on countless occasions.
Gavira – 6
The 17-year-old is surely ahead of schedule, and he showcased his confidence and exceptional character in his personal battle against Verratti.
Sergio Busquets – 7
Barcelona fans may claim that their captain is already done, but he rolled back the years to produce a commanding performance at the heart of Luis Enrique’s side. Was always one step ahead of the Italians and took the elbow that led to Bonucci’s dismissal.
Koke – 6.5
The Atletico Madrid captain provided the muscles and the pace in the middle of the park, playing an essential part in Spain’s midfield dominance.
Pablo Sarabia – 5.5
The Sporting Lisbon winger was surely the least threatening of the attacking trio, and was mostly contained by Emerson and company.
Ferran Torres – 8
Italy’s false 9 experiment didn’t go too well tonight (check Insigne’s part), but on the other hand, Spain had the right man for the job. Despite being originally a winger, the Manchester City man proved to be a deadly finisher, as he maintained his composure to score two clinical goals. He was subbed off due a knock early in the second half, but for Italy, the damage was already done.
Mikel Oyarzabal – 7
The Real Sociedad man assisted Torres with two fabulous crosses, but he just couldn’t kill off the match in the second half, wasting decent chances in front of goal.
Spain Substitutes
Yeremi Pino – 6.5
The 18-year-old winger just oozes talent, and caused havoc for Italian defenses every time he ran at them with the ball at his feet, but still needs to improve his final product.
Bryan Gil – N/A
Mikel Merino – N/A
Sergi Roberto – N/A
Spain defeat Italy to reach the UEFA Nations League final! ?? pic.twitter.com/POsNR6msmF
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 6, 2021
Read More – Italy vs Spain 1-2: Ferran Torres Brace Ends Azzurri’s Unbeaten Streak