Italy Under-21 midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini insists the Azzurrini are not daunted by “centre of attention” Marco Asensio and his Spain teammates.
Spain are considered the team to watch in the European Under-21 Championship semi-finals after scoring nine goals in their three group games, and facing them on Tuesday are Italy, who lost to La Rojita 4-2 in the 2013 Final.
“We’re absolutely ready for this as we’re focused and we’ll give our best, like we did against Germany,” the Sassuolo midfielder told UEFA.com.
“It’s a one-off game, so absolutely anything could happen. We already played against Spain in a friendly in March and know their players very well.
“They’ve got international stars like Marco Asensio and Saul Niguez, so we know it won’t be easy.
“Asensio won the Champions League and plays for probably the best team in the world, Real Madrid.
“It’s only natural he’d be at the centre of attention in this tournament, but we’ve got great players like Domenico Berardi and Federico Bernardeschi too.
“The Euros are very important for me, as facing up to strong opponents is fundamental for a young player to improve.
“It’s always wonderful to win, but with this squad we really feel like a family.”
