Euro 2020: Mancini's Italy survive tricky Austrian examination
AT LAST: Federico Chiesa celebrates after scoring Italy's extra time opener in the Euro 2020 round of 16 game at Wembley against Austria
ITALY are through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020, but it took two goals in extra time from substitutes Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina to see off unfancied Austria, who went close to one of the greatest upsets in major tournament football.
Austria had never been past the group stages in their previous two appearances at the European Championships, and qualified for this one as runners up to Poland.
Yet they ran Italy mighty close, and for the minute or two that it took Video Assistant Referee Stuart Atwell to decide that Marko Arnautovic was offside when he headed past Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 65th minute, Austria's manager Franco Foda and his players were celebrating the prospect of a mighty giant-killing.
Referee Anthony Taylor duly overturned his decision, Italy rode their luck to reach extra time unscathed and scored twice to apparently put this last 16 tie to bed. But even then the Austrians gave them another scare when Sasa Kalajdzic pulled a goal back with six minutes remaining, and it was the relief as much as joy that poured from the Italian fans who had taken over most of Wembley for the night.
Yet it should never have been so close. Italy, the in-form team from the group stages, took charge from the start and it seemed to be only a matter of time before they scored against an Austria side that had exceeded expectations to reach the knockout stage.
Roberto Mancini's men had all the chances of note in a one-sided first-half, but they failed to find the target too often, and when they did, Watford keeper Daniel Bachmann kept them at bay with some fine saves.
Ciro Immobile was unlucky in the 33rd minute when he struck the woodwork from 25 yards, and the Lazio striker was also denied by great blocks from David Alaba, Aleksandar Dragovic and Martin Hinteregger, who all excelled in the Austrian defence.
Most of Italy's best moves came from the left, where Lorenzo Insigne combined well with Leonardo Spinazzola, who had another storming match. The Roma left-back looked dangerous every time he got forward, and set up Nicolo Barelli for a first-time shot that Bachmann did well to save with an outstretched foot.
The Watford keeper did even better shortly before half-time when he dived full-length to tip a low drive from Spinazzola the ball away for a corner.
Austria had to defend in numbers and rely on breakaways, and Arnautovic hustled himself into a shooting position outside the penalty area but sent his volley over the bar.
And the former Stoke and West Ham forward had another chance soon after the break following a rare mistake from Leonardo Bonucci, but after twisting and turning in the penalty area, screwed his shot across goal wide.
Austria had another chance to break the deadlock soon afterwards when Xaver Schlager was fouled by Giovanni Di Lorenzo on the edge of the penalty area, but David Alaba fired the resulting free-kick just over the bar.
Arnautovic thought he had finally scored and broken the Italian team's run of 11 consecutive clean sheets when he headed home in the 65th minute. Alaba headed on Stefan Lainer's deep cross and Arnautovic pounced from close range to head the ball in from a tight angle, via the underside of the bar. But after VAR intervened and Anthony Taylor ruled it out for offside.
Italy were rattled, though, and Austria were getting bolder. Mancini sent on substitutes Manuel Locatelli and Pessina, who had both scored in the group stages, and then replaced Immobile and Domenico Berardi with Andrea Belotti and Chiesa as Italy went for broke. Austria's defence held firm in normal time and even after five minutes of stoppage time, it was still goalless.
But only five minutes into extra time, Chiesa broke the deadlock. The Juventus midfielder, son of former Italian internatoinal Enrico Chiesa, showed his intent when he had a shot from the right saved by Bachmann. But when Spinazzola picked him out with a pass from the left a minute later, Chiesa controlled the ball with his right foot, cut back inside his marker and lashed a left-footed shot past Bachmann.
Ten minutes later it was effectively over as Pessina scored a killer second goal, again lashing home from a tight angle after neat work inside the penalty box.
But it was not all over. Kalajdzic had replaced Arnautovic and sent a diving header past Donnarumma in the 114th minute, ending the keeper's record of over 1000 minutes without concending a goal.
At the final whistle, Mancini almost lost his famous cool as he celebrated with his coaching staff, but it was understandable. His team had cantered through the group stages but were within a whisker of a major upset.
And for Austria, there were commiserations and the knowledge that they had made their mark on this tournament for the first time.
Donnaruma 6; Di Lorenzo 6, Bonucci 6, Acerbi 6, Spinazzola 8; Barella 6 (Pessina 68), Jorginho 7, Veratti 6 (Locatelli 68); Berardi 6 (Chiesa 83), Immobile 7 (Belotti 83), Insigne 7 (Cristante 108).
Bachmann 9; Lainer 6, Dragovic 7, Hinteregger 7, Alaba 8; Schlager 7 (Gregoritsch 105), Grillitsch 7 (Schaub 105) ; Laimer 6, Sabitzer 7, Baumgartner 6 (Schopf 89); Arnautovic 7 (Kalajdzic 96).
: Anthony Taylor (England) 8
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