Bronze Medal Win: Italy Dominates Netherlands in UEFA Match

2023-06-18 15:54:14

This bronze medal positively punctuates a hectic weekend for coach Roberto Mancini who had to face criticism from two of his executives on Thursday following the semi-final defeat once morest Spain (1-2).

Gianluigi Donnarumma and Francesco Acerbi had indeed complained of no longer taking pleasure in the jersey of the Nazionale.

However, this beginning of unease was not felt on Sunday. Very invigorating, the Italians took their strangely apathetic opponents cold in front of almost entirely orange stands.

From the 6th minute, the left side Federico Dimarco highlighted the shortcomings of the Batavian defense following an action initiated by Davide Frattesi.

The roles were reversed a quarter of an hour later for the 2-0, Frattesi concluding a move started by Dimarco in the midst of completely static home defenders.

The three changes made at the break by Koeman, with the re-entries of Wout Weghorst, Georginio Wijnaldum and Steven Bergwijn, gave a little pep to the Dutch game. A better state of mind rewarded with a goal from Bergwijn following the hour mark (68th).

But hope was short-lived, with Federico Chiesa making it 3-1 four minutes later. And the goal scored in the 90th by Georginio Wijnaldum came too late despite the pressure put on by Virgil van Dijk and his teammates in the dying seconds.

If the Squadra appeared to be in progress compared to their last outings, it is quite the opposite for the Dutch who have just conceded eleven goals in three matches since Koeman took office in January (Sunday’s defeat following a a 4-0 conceded once morest France in March then a 4-2 once morest Croatia on Wednesday in the semi-finals of the League of Nations).

© 2023 AFP

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