The Italians had a mediocre start to the game, and they conceded an early goal two minutes into European Championship final.
The Azzurri struggled to break down Gareth Southgate‘s defensive setup, but Mancini showed his class eventually and made the necessary tactical tweaks to change the game in his team’s favour.
England started with a really defensive system that included five defenders and two defensive midfielders. They were pretty comfortable dealing with the opposition in the first half.
Italy did not have much joy in the first 45 minutes against England with their 4-3-3 shape. Roberto Mancini was quick to make changes in the second half, and his side dominated the contest from thereon.
Italy made two substitutions at 55th minute of the match. Mancini brought Bryan Cristante and Domenico Berardi to substitute Nicolo Barella and Ciro Immobile.
Southgate’s England struggled to cope with the 4-2-3-1 approach. Lorenzo Insigne moved into a central position caused all sorts of problems for the Three Lions.
Without a specialised number nine to mark, England’s defenders were all over the park, and the likes of Federico Chiesa managed to open them up time and again.
The mobile attacking setup allowed Insigne and Chiesa to drag the England defenders out of position with their flair and runs. Italy started to create a lot more after Mancini’s tactical switch.
Neither player had a fixed position on the pitch, and their constant interchange of flanks and positioning in the half-spaces wreaked havoc.
The Juventus winger, in particular, was in breathtaking form tonight, and he terrorised the England defence with his pace, flair and agility.
Federico Chiesa created quite a few chances for his side, and England breathed a sigh of relief when he picked up an ankle injury in the second half.
The Italian manager did not compromise his team’s defensive stability in the process, and the Azzurri were well organised at the back as well.
