By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
In a battle of two European superpowers, it was Germany who
squeezed past Italy and into the semi-finals of EURO 2016, ending an
international hoodoo for the Germans against their opponents that had stretched
back over 50 years.
Italy had defeated Germany in the 1982 World Cup final, the
semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and also in the last four at the last
European Championship.
It was a match that the tactical pursuits would have loved
but maybe not the classic the neutrals would have been hoping for. Two
evenly-matched sides cancelled each other out over two hours of football in
Bordeaux.
The game ended 1-1 before one of the worst penalty shootouts
ever seen in a major international competition. Seven kicks were either saved
or missed before Jonas Hector finally sealed the outcome in Germany’s favour.
Tactical
stalemate
Seeing what Italy had managed to do to both Belgium and
Spain during EURO 2016, German coach Joachim Low paid them the greatest respect
by changing his tactics to match the Azzuri’s successful 3-5-2 formation.
Julian Draxler was the unfortunate casualty of this switch
in formation. Despite dazzling against Slovakia, he was omitted and Benedikt Höwedes
returned as part of the three central defenders unit.
It meant we were in for a slightly tedious contest. The
first half offered absolutely nothing in terms of quality. The only note was an
injury to the luckless Sami Khedira, who stretched his groin out after 13
minutes and was replaced by the talismanic Bastian Schweinsteiger.
The game did improve after the restart, it couldn’t get any
worse to be fair and the man who made the difference was Mesut Özil.
The Arsenal man has had an indifferent tournament so far,
mixing in some excellent showings with some displays where he seems to go
missing. He broke the deadlock though midway through the second half.
Hector deserves credit for pushing forward to support Mario
Gomez. His driving run into the box brought a deflection on his cross and it fell
perfectly for Özil to sweep past Gianluigi Buffon in the Italian goal.
Germany should have put the game out of sight by this point.
Alessandro Florenzi produced a breathtaking clearance off the line to stop
Gomez putting the world champions infront. The frontman was then denied by a
remarkable stop from Buffon before suffering a hamstring injury that brings his
campaign here in France to a premature end.
Florenzi put in a hard-working and charging effort on the
right-hand side of the Italian midfield and it was his cross that produced the
equaliser. Jerome Boateng totally lost his bearings and stuck both his hands up
inside the penalty area. The ball struck them and the easiest penalty decision
of EURO 2016 was given by Hungarian official Viktor Kassai.
Leonardo Bonucci stepped up and kept his composure to defeat
Manuel Neuer and send the game into extra-time where nothing happened again, so
it went all the way to penalties.
Poor
penalties
Germany’s penalty shootout record is well-known within the
football world. Since losing the 1976 European Championship final to
Czechoslovakia, they’ve never lost a spot-kick competition and have barely
missed a kick either. That was to change in an appalling exhibition of
converting penalties.
Thomas Müller’s kick was way too casual and comfortably
saved, Özil hit the post and Schweinsteiger’s penalty was so bad – the ball
might have landed in Charles de Gaulle airport!
 |
| Manuel Neuer and Gianluigi Buffon made their mark in the shootout |
Italy’s weren’t much better. Simone Zaza, who came on in the
final minute of extra-time with the primary job to take a penalty, didn’t do
his job properly at all. He produced what can only be described as a bizarre
run-up and then blazed his penalty over the crossbar. Graziano Pelle attempted
to play kidology with Neuer but kidded himself and missed the target and Neuer (pictured with Buffon) also outwitted Bonucci second time around.
The better penalties came from those who weren’t nominated
to take them. Finally, it was the ninth takers who decided it. Matteo Darmian
scuffed his kick into Neuer’s reach, before Hector drove his underneath Buffon’s
body to seal Germany’s place in the final four.
They now face tournament hosts France in Marseille on
Thursday night in the semi-finals but they will have to win without Mats
Hummels, who is suspended after collecting a second yellow card in the
tournament. Antonio Conte now moves onto pastures new in club management with
Chelsea.
Italy have had a successful competition given their low expectations
going into EURO 2016 but as ever, Germany are just slightly better than
everyone else when it comes to penalty battles.
My best
three players of the match
Man of the Match: Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Goalkeepers can only be the heroes in the penalty shootout.
They can’t lose and Neuer definitely won in this battle. Had no chance with
Bonucci’s coolly taken kick in normal time but used clever mind games to defeat
Graziano Pelle and Bonucci in the shootout and then saved from Matteo Darmian
to tee up the traditional German shootout win.
2nd: Leonardo Bonucci (Italy)
Both Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini have been
sensational and will be serious contenders to make the final team of the
tournament. Bonucci took the game to penalties with a calmly placed spot-kick
to beat Neuer and was very unfortunate to be one of Italy’s fall guys in the
shootout itself. He was a rock at the back once again.
3rd: Mesut Özil (Germany)
Apart from another dismal penalty – this time in the
shootout, this was a much better display from Özil who was the man that
threatened the most out of Germany’s creative players. Broke down the Italian
defence in the 65th minute with a fine finish from close range and
played some delicious passes throughout.
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