JAKARTA - Switzerland won a convincing victory with a score of 2-0 over Italy in the last 16 of the UEFA EURO 2024 match which took place at the Berlin Olympic Stadium on Saturday, June 29. This match is proof of the cohesiveness and determination of the Swiss team which is able to overcome the Italian resistance which performed below their best performance.
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti admits that his team was unable to show the quality they had. "I decided to choose one striker and then I used a 4-3-2-1 formation, but we didn't see the quality that needed to be displayed except in the first and few matches in the second half against Croatia. When we were forced to play at a high tempo, we couldn't show the quality we had," Spalletti said.
Spalletti also highlighted his team's problem in maintaining possession of the ball. "I think the team played too passively in terms of the intensity of the game. We couldn't maintain a high level of intensity. When we couldn't win the ball back, considering we didn't have much speed at the back, we had to give them space on the pitch. Every now and then, we managed to win the ball back but we didn't do a good job of defending it," he added.
After the match, Spalletti reflected on his team's performance during this tournament. "We tried a few things in this tournament, but I came home thinking that I had to change a few things. This result is not as bad as people think. We managed to get through a difficult group. But we didn't see the team with personality in terms of fundamentals. That's what we learned from this experience at EURO 2024," said Spalletti.
Spalletti also stressed the need for changes to the future of the Italian team. "In terms of intensity, we are below standard and Switzerland is a viable winner. The future of the Italian team now depends on making difficult choices; we need to have more physical. We have quality but when you lose intensity for 90 minutes, it's natural that you think you need to change things and bring more physical," he said.
Furthermore, Spalletti stated that Italy will continue to process. "This is part of the process. All other coaches have 20 games before they have this EURO; I only have ten and we are always under pressure You have to win, you have to win'. I may need to get to know my team better to manage everything better. We also have a number of injured players I rely on," he said.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also gave his views after this defeat. "There is a need to make meaculpa (my mistake) - to be responsible and apologize. We never really got into the game, we had to accept that reluctantly and reward those [Switzerland] who played very well. But we should have been able to play much better," said Donnarumma.
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Swiss Team Cohesiveness
Swiss midfielder Fabian Rieder expressed his joy at this victory, stating, "The feeling is extraordinary because we are showing very good performance. We show from the first second that we really want to win this game. The spirit of the team is extraordinary; everyone is happy, everyone runs for each other, and I think we show it on the pitch." This statement illustrates the collective spirit and cooperation displayed by the Swiss team throughout the match.
Swiss striker Breel Embolo also feels proud of his team's victory. "I am happy and proud, and I think [this victory] deserves. We deserved to win against a team that was difficult to play. We played together and created chances. We played very well and scored goals at the right time. I am very proud for the team, staff and the whole country," said Embolo. Swiss-printed goals come at crucial moments, which ensure their victory over Italy.
Switzerland's victory over Italy in the last 16 of the UEFA EURO 2024 is proof of the team's superior tactics and high spirit. Meanwhile, Italy must immediately improve and prepare for future challenges with an in-depth evaluation of their performance during this tournament.
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