Can Italy surprise Europe? Or were we just a resigned opponent?

Italy against the Czech Republic showed a tactically advanced performance approaching perfection. At the same time enriched by quality individual performances. Italy will face Turkey, Wales and Switzerland in the group stage. Nothing easy, but if the team from the Apennine Peninsula can build on their performance against Jaroslav Šilhavy’s selection, then progression will be a formality.

But as we know football, every match is different and of course chance (sporting luck) plays a big role in it. The Italians were clearly above our strength and outplayed us in all respects, but the first two goals, which determined the fate of the match, were after a run and especially the second one was downright accidental.

Roberto Mancini’s charges have a perfectly polished defensive game, trying to create pressure on the opponent by higher position in the block with quick pressing forays. At the same time, the Italians have tremendous strength in the wing spaces and in the transitions to attack.

“They were well prepared and knew how to play us. Now we have to work on our mistakes and take an example from the Italians. It is an opportunity to move on,” said Antonín Barák, who has a lot of experience with Italian football.

Pavel Čapek’s sentence “The Italians are trying to break out of the catenaccia box” turned out to be even more nonsensical after the match than it originally seemed,” Radek Špryňar teased his journalistic colleague.

Špryňar pointed out that Italy is no longer the ultra-defensive team that just needs to play to win 1:0. Anyway, the Italians have not scored a goal for 8 matches in a row, so the defence is still working very well, just not as many remember it.

“Today we saw a team that can win the Euro with this performance. And also a team that doesn’t even have to go there with this performance. Let’s just say it was a slap in the face at the right time. And that the Czech team will not hide all its qualities this intensely anymore,” tweeted Luděk Mádl.

Do you think that Italy has what it takes to fight for the highest possible places at the European Championships? Or that we gave a really below-average performance?

Sources: Livesport, Czech national football team, Radek Špryňar, Luděk Mádl