Italy takes down Albania in EURO 2024 👏 ‘THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!’ – Don Hutchinson | ESPN FC

Italy takes down Albania in EURO 2024 👏 ‘THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!’ – Don Hutchinson | ESPN FC

this is Group B standings after the first games that we have seen Italy also taking on Albania in their opening game in group b and both Albania and Croatia yet to get points on the board after those opening games so let’s move on to talk about that game between Italy and Albania shall we because obviously Italy coming into this competition as the defending Champions and so a lot of talk about what we could expect from them this time especially with missing out on the World Cup as well well it was a 2-1 win in the end over Albania little nervy at the end uh a little nervy at the start 23 seconds One n down I mean I’ve got no idea what DeMarco was thinking but you put Baston in a world of trouble then all of a sudden you one nil down first game of the tournament that’s a massive test of the throwing coach the throwing coach that’s it’s a massive test of your mentality because the whole world is watching and you are one n down inside 23 seconds it’s embarrassing but what happened is is they showed their grit I thought calori was magnificent he reminded me I was joking you reminded me of a young Maldini with his long hair and his left foot and he’s the Swagger that he runs with in the gate but I thought the one player that dragged ity through very early on and for the majority of the game to be fair was Geor Geno I thought he used all of his experience and it does help when Baston got them back into the game after 10 minutes you get back to 1-1 the Dynamics of the game Bella scored a beautiful goal great technique outside the foot hit it with loads of fade then that was the realist Italy because they should have been out of sight I thought strakosha in goal probably in the first half kept Albania in the game that Barella goal was brilliant wasn’t it from the perspective of Nicolo arela absolutely the technique is beautiful cutting across the ball spanking it with the outside of the foot that ball is bending into that pose and it’s beautiful from his perspective from the perspective of arenia an Elsa husai the center back who’s standing in front of the shot and whose job by definition by definition is to go and try to block the shot he literally gave you one of these no see that’s not defending it’s embarrassing to see that and I I suppose that it’s a natural reaction but it shouldn’t be a natural reaction for a Defender he should come out there at the very least and make himself big make himself a Defender do your job I’m not going to take credit away from B because the execution and the technique was perfect but the defending was embarrassing were you just as embarrassed Frank as a defend yourself at what you saw here a bit I have to say that I have to join Ali in that perspective and uh it’s true when we we see especially in Spain against Croatia curella going for for um sacrifice and and making making that saving you you expect the player the Aman player you know going and making himself bigger to make sure that he can take the ball even with his head and we call that a sacrifice and we know as Defenders that we we have to go for it even if we know we might be hurt but that’s part of our game let’s talk about Italy then because going into this tournament there’s a lot of people who aren’t really putting a lot of stock into this Italy side but many think quietly that maybe they’re a little bit underrated after this first game what’s your assessment of well I’ve always thought even before the game but watching the game today they impressed me um Dark Horses yeah because when I look at when I look at Italy I think they’ve got a very talented 13 14 players the depth is not there but F know they’re defending Champions right yeah I know that okay darkes they failed to qualify for the last two World Cups it’s Italy so qualify for the last two world I know but all right okay it’s Italy it’s Italy but but is it Italy that we we became so familiar with over those years okay there defending Champions it’s Italy to call them a dark horse Italy will always be if they’re if they’re in the tournament tournament if they’re in the tournament and Italy are defending Champions I think they deserve more than just being called Dark hor I I don’t look at them as asan he I I don’t I don’t look at them as Outsiders do you see them being favorites no but I don’t look at so they can Edge towards dark no no that’s leading the witness I don’t I’ll never ever in the history of mankind in a tournament of this magnitude call Italy a dark horse be on their history now what you can say is that you know potentially you’re looking at a team that a lot of things has to go right in order for them to win it but I wouldn’t be shocked I don’t I don’t think this team is any worse than the team hold on I don’t think this team is any worse than the team that won the competition uh four years ago you’d be stunned though if Italy won the Euros I wouldn’t be let me tell you where they were when it comes to the odds as pre-tournament they’re six along with Belgium and the Netherlands okay that’s not dark horses six six isn’t you don’t think that can be my view my view is my view is that they 12 13 14 players is very very strong the depth of the team is a worry you’re a couple of injuries away from potentially disaster but I thought they played well today I thought skaka led the line well thought Kaza was busy fratesi for for a guy that’s hardly started for into the season was Sensational but with spalti you get a manager and you see by the subs at the bottom he can man manage a game like he wouldn’t believe he can sense and he can smell when players are fading and he brings fresh legs on that was probably the most outstanding thing on how he managed the game cuz the last 15 at 2-1 was a little bit nervy look at this team here seriously question is this team significantly worse than the team that won it last time out no and so that’s my point that Italy they have enough talent to trouble you they’re good enough defensively to where there I think they’re going to keep enough teams or or make it difficult enough for teams to score against them and so therefore I don’t know I wouldn’t call them darkes I think we’ll know a lot more after the Spain game well absolutely I’ve definitely got Deja Vu with Italy being called Dark Horses because I think this has happened before in another Euro tourn and it got the same reaction were called Dark Horses as well did you expect more from them today against Albania Frank no I think theyve they’ve done what they had to do uh especially after considering the ear goal I was pretty confident that it would come back and this what happened and very very quickly so they’ve been very professional expect except that that big take from DeMarco but let’s say that it helped them maybe to to to start their Euro maybe um in a better way uh after that after ConEd that goal I don’t I know I know Italy so well there is not a way of surprising of surprises that we can get from from the Italian I mean they showed us that when they are at their worst they can win a world cup in 82 they can win a World Cup in 2006 uh and they can win four years ago the European champion ship so yes you always have to count on them to surprise you and to make sure that you have to uh to respect them in order that they can do whatever they have especially where they not favor it so um I think they would have to do better that’s for sure because don’t forget they play against Albania with all due respect we’re going to see against Spain how how it works uh I think if they play against England France uh even Germany at home or may maybe Portugal it could be be a little bit tougher but they have the quality they have the the individuals to travel anybody and to go in a in in a good way you look at a player like Kessa that individually he has just something different than everybody else and if individually he has a big tournament an explosive tournament the One V one situations the goals the creating opportunities he makes them exponentially better in the attack because again you think of what special talents can do for a team well you can take a team that perhaps may not be among the favorites all of a sudden this guy gets on a run you become a different team at a different level with a different with a different type of speed with a different type of creativity but it’s going to take a special performance from him because when I look at what they are in the final third they need him to have a huge turn but that but that’s my point when you’re talking about the depth of the team if Kaza gets injured Kella gets injured skaka gets injured most probably potentially are the three most important players there’s there’s there’s other players on the pitch that you can carry if you get a knock there the squad depth is there but those three I we I probably even I probably even go as fast to say skaka leading the line is so important but Bella was Bella was coming back from an injur and he scored today he is super important alongside ker Don I’m sorry but if England loses rice Bellingham and another one they’re going to be in trouble if France loses MPP uh and and grizzman they’re going to be in trouble too so well why do you want them to be in injured you know it’s part of the the thing and maybe one can be injured but not the three and um and I I I I hear you and you’re absolutely right if they lose the three but any team will be in danger I think um Argentina would have never win never won sorry the the World Cup without Messi that’s as simple as that sorry sorry Frank I didn’t mean as in losing the three at one goal I just meant if you lose one it’s difficult for that Squad to try and replace the individuals true can I just say and and I know this conversation is more about Italy than it is about Albania but since our guy Pablo is sitting on the bench in Albania we’re paying close attention to Albania why are they passing the ball side and back when they’re losing 2-1 with five minutes to go I don’t what what what is what is wrong what is wrong with just putting the ball forward and forcing Italy into a mistake or forcing chaos creating chaos manufacturing chaos they at the end correct and so you actually got direct created and you huh go ahead that’s that’s new football Ali you don’t understand football you know it’s possession it’s the beauty of football The Possession so no no but me and Ally are watching the game we’re all watching the game and you’re going why are they keeping the ball at the back Albania two minutes left on the clock and and by the way by by putting the ball forward they actually did create a chance and donarum had to come up with a save my point is if you’re one of these lesser teams and you you are within a goal stop passing the ball side with him back and go and put it over there in the final third and maybe something happen especially if you’ve done your homework on Donna Roma who hasn’t been great in the Champions League when he’s been coming for crosses he’s not had a particularly good season which you were saying throughout the game so why wouldn’t you try and exploit that weakness don’t call them Dark Horses all right okay [Music]

Frank Leboeuf, Don Hutchison and Ale Moreno join Kay Murray on ESPN FC to react to Italy’s 2-1 win over Albania in the opening round of UEFA Euro 2024 Group B play.

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