The big test of maturity: What is Italy really worth?

Belgium's Golden Generation against the new Squadra Azzurra, the super offensive around Romelu Lukaku against Italy's record defense - the Munich five-star quarter-final promises a great football spectacle between two tournament favorites. “I expect victory and nothing else. We are competitive animals,” said Belgian star Thomas Meunier. But Italy coach Roberto Mancini also confidently announced: “We want to play our game. We are aware of our strengths.”

World number one Belgium, led by the ailing Kevin De Bruyne, does not want to fail again shortly before the final, as was the case at the 2018 World Cup. The Italians, led back to the top of the world by coach-beau Roberto Mancini, are looking forward to their big European Championship qualification test on Friday (21.00 p.m.) - in the country of their last big triumph. Italy is again a top candidate for the title 15 years after the World Cup title in Germany and three years after missing the World Cup in Russia, the Squadra Azzurra is once again one of the top candidates for the title. And who, if not the almost indomitable Methuselah defense around Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, is supposed to stop the exquisite goal machinery around Lukaku, De Bruyne and the Hazard brothers?

The team last managed a record time of 1169 minutes without conceding a goal, and Chiellini was fit again in time after his muscle injury. “We will all be ready without giving up our game,” announced the captain, who will “sleep well” before the duel with Lukaku. “The team that makes fewer mistakes will win. We have great desire to go very far.” Most recently there were twelve wins in a row To achieve this, Italy particularly relies on the tactics of Mancini, who turned the Azzurri into title contenders again after dreary years. As a former world-class attacker, the 56-year-old, like his team manager and former strike partner Gianluca Vialli, knows only too well how to stop attacks. “We know that we are playing against perhaps the best team in Europe at the moment,” said Mancini. “It will be a difficult game, but we will try to win it.”

Most recently, his team celebrated twelve wins in a row and set an Italian record with 31 games without defeat. “This is a challenge that we are looking forward to,” said Belgium coach Roberto Martinez, for whom the duel with Mancini, whom he knows from their times together in the Premier League, is special. An offensive force The Azzurri's fast and dribbling wings should now also cause problems for Belgium's defense, which is no longer very young. In the center of the attack, Ciro Immobile wants to further improve his tally of two tournament goals so far. With nine goals, the Azzurri have already impressively demonstrated their offensive power at this European Championship. “We know we can’t afford any mistakes,” said midfielder Jorginho. “The biggest mistake would be to think we have already achieved something.”

For what is probably the most talented generation of Belgian footballers, this European Championship is possibly the last chance for the big title coup. In 2018, she came close to finishing third in the World Cup, and in 2016, a 0-2 defeat against Italy at the start meant she was eliminated in the European Championship quarter-finals. “With our squad we can keep up with any country,” said Meunier. Dries Mertens also confidently announced: “I want to win the tournament.” Belgium is worried about De Bruyne The question of whether De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, who were substituted in the 1-0 win in the round of 24 against European champions Portugal, will be fit in time is a race against time. On Thursday neither of them trained with the team, but only individually. “We still have XNUMX hours and we are positive,” said Belgium coach Roberto Martinez on Thursday. “We know we are playing against time. We will have to wait until the last minute.”

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The big test of maturity: What is Italy really worth?

Gala with grandeur or hellish European Championship spectacle? In a five-star quarter-final, Italy's oldie defense wants to stop Belgium's super offensive on Friday evening from 21 p.m. The red devils are worried about their top star, who could become a tragic figure.

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