National League semis: Italy, Spain in battle of San Siro
Italy and Spain will again face off in a semi-final on Wednesday when they take to the field at the San Siro for the Nations League Final Four opener, a replay of their epic Euro 2020 semi-final.
Spain finished on the losing side back in July’s European Championship semi-final as the Azzurri prevailed on penalties and went on to win the tournament, beginning an unforgettable summer of sport for Italy.
Roberto Mancini’s Italy are on a world-record run of 37 matches without defeat and have a squad predictably stuffed full of players who took part in their run to glory in the Euro final over England at Wembley.
“We’ll be facing a great Italy team: they deservedly beat England in the final of the Euro and they’ve kept their long unbeaten run going,” said Spain coach Luis Enrique after announcing his squad on Thursday.
“But like our psychologist says, defeat comes to every team. And that means that they’re closer to losing, that time is getting nearer.”
Mancini admitted that “Spain were the team we struggled against most during Euro 2020”.
“They are a good team with good players. It will be a good match,” he told uefa.com.
The only different face from the Euro crowd was supposed to be in-form Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, who on Sunday scored his sixth goal of the season in all competitions
However injuries in the run-up to and during the weekend’s Serie A fixtures mean Juventus striker Moise Kean, AC Milan defender Davide Calabria and Inter Milan youngster Federico Dimarco have all been drafted in at the last minute.
The trio have respectively come on board in place of Italy’s usual starting centre-forward Ciro Immobile and Atalanta’s Rafael Toloi and Matteo Pessina.
For Dimarco it’s a first ever call up and comes from the man who in 2014 gave the 23-year-old his debut at Inter Milan, where he has impressed so far this season.
The match will also see the return of Gianluigi Donnarumma to the San Siro after leaving AC Milan on a free transfer to go to Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
Asked whether he might be harangued by Milan fans following a move which left a bad taste in the mouth of supporters, Donnarumma said: “It would be sad if that happened.
“I always gave everything for Milan and I hope the subject can be put to one side,” he added.
Luis Enrique has too had injury problems with club matches coming thick and fast between last month’s international break and the Final Four.
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Teenage sensation Pedri will not take part after getting injured for the second time in less than a month, missing out on similarly young squad to the one which surpassed expectations at the Euro.