La Roja faced Italy at Wembley Stadium in London on Tuesday evening for a place in the final of Euro 2020. Luis Enrique made a big selection decision pre-game, opting to drop Alvaro Morata, who he’s backed to the hilt this summer, and preferring to opt for Mikel Oyarzabal as a false nine.
Amazing stat. Pedri is 18 years old https://t.co/HLhrKBDYdQ
— Simon Kuper (@KuperSimon) July 6, 2021
The first half was tightly contested, with Spain seeing the majority of the ball but failing to put the Italians to the sword in a way their build-up play merited. The performance of 18-year-old Pedri, at the heart of the Spanish midfield, had everyone watching swooning, however. The Barcelona starlet has had an incredible tournament, nerveless on the biggest stage.
It was the Italians, however, that took a potentially decisive lead on the hour mark. They broke quickly and ruthlessly in a counter-attack instigated by the excellent Gianluigi Donnarumma and finished artfully by Federico Chiesa, putting Italy into a lead heading into the final half-hour.
25 years after his dad scored for Italy at Euro 96, Federico Chiesa's gone and done this.
In from the moment it left his boot
— COPA90 (@Copa90) July 6, 2021
