LONDON (EFE) – Italy flirted with breaking the role of favorite and suffered its toughest test against an Austria that caressed the surprise, which was torn with a goal canceled by the VAR and that succumbed in extra time to a genius of Federico Chiesa (2-1).
The Juventus attacker, left the bench as oxygen for extra time, dressed in the Fabio Grosso of 2006 and his father Enrico, who scored in the 1996 Euro. He caught a ball inside the area, launched a magic threat and defined with the best volley of his life. He unleashed a game that brought out the Italian tensions, their problems to dismantle a well-mounted defense and that confirmed Austria as a better group than the one that its poster anticipated.
Because the Austrians came out with personality to Wembley. Despite the disadvantage in the stands, where the ‘Azurri’ had an army in London, they wanted to combine, without raffling the ball. Take advantage of Sabitzer in the center of the field as a way to unblock until reaching Arnautovic.
Italy was left with quick transitions, where footballers like Insigne shine and, above all, an unleashed Spinazzola. They couldn’t stop him on the left wing and he had freedom of movement to pass Lainer.
In his boots was the first clear for the Italians, a back pass that Nicoló Barella finished off first and that he counterfeited and as if he were a Bachmann handball goalkeeper.
At that time the game was aimed at electric. To be as much fun as England’s three games to date hadn’t turned out at Wembley. Arnautovic responded with an isolated volley that, had he directed better, would have put Donnaruma in trouble. But he went over the crossbar and Austria began to suffer. Sabitzer disappeared, drowned out by Verratti and Jorginho, and Alaba was too lonely on the side.
Immobile appeared, throwing diagonals and trying to get between the centrals, without a last pass that broke the game. Desperate and tired of trying to get into the kitchen, he took a shot out of nowhere that crashed into the stick.
Roberto Mancini’s men had tipped the balance, settled the Austrian rhythm and dominated the ball. They only lacked the dagger with which the Alpine defense stabbed. But his climax cut him off the break.
Austria again withdrew weapons and quelled the Italian attack with a monumental Hinteregger. He was lavish in attack, despite the lack of gunpowder, and tried with a foul from Alaba in the front of the area, high, and a deflected shot from Sabitzer. Another turn of the game, but this time crowned with a goal. A perfect counter from Franco Foda’s men, which ended with a cross, a shot from Alaba and a continuation of Arnautovic to the net.
The forward began to silence the ‘Azurri’, forgetting that the VAR exists. After a tense wait, Anthony Taylor confirmed that there had been an offside on Alaba’s pass. Italy breathed, Austria saw the train pass to seal the ticket to quarters in 90 minutes.
The extension was a scenario that Foda already imagined, so he did not make changes until the 90th minute, but in which he did not count on starting down at five minutes. Spinazzola, instead of penetrating from the outside, took the inside lane, changed the flank game, taking advantage of the fact that Alaba had covered the center and released his side.
Chiesa, alone, controlled the unorthodox shipment, with his forehead. He faked with his right and holed with his left. The dagger had gone through Austria and as a result of the wiggle he took another stab ten minutes later, when Matteo Pessina, another substitute, pointed at Bachmann after a magnificent drag in the small area.
But Austria did not give up and pushed until there was no more time left, causing six minutes of suffering for Mancini and his team when Kalajdzic closed the gap in a corner.
Italy, who lived on the edge, overcomes a labyrinth and goes to quarters. Wait rival of Belgium-Portugal.