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The match with Italy in Euro 2024, Reuters: Albania is ready to cause riots

Politiko 2024-06-13 18:47:15

The match with Italy in Euro 2024, Reuters: Albania is ready to cause riots

Defending champions Italy should start their Euro 2024 campaign against Albania on Saturday in the same fashion as last tournament, but their opponents will see this game as the perfect opportunity to make some 'noise'. Reuters . 
In 2021, Italy started the Euros with a game against Turkey, a team that many had tipped as potential tournament horses, but the Italians cruised to an emphatic 3-0 win to top their group by winning the the three games.

With Spain and Croatia still remaining in Group B, Italy will not expect to have it so easy this time around and this is the only game where they are expected to take all three points.
Albania have nothing to lose and the Albanians are ready to cause trouble wherever possible and there is no better opportunity than to catch Italy cold in the first leg.
Italy, like three years ago, enter the Euros without the weight of favorites hanging over them, and while a win over Albania wouldn't necessarily change people's minds, it would give them the confidence they need for the challenges ahead.

Luciano Spalletti's side are facing a team full of well-known players as many of them play for clubs in Italy. Sylvinho was one of Roberto Mancini's assistants when he managed Inter and the Brazilian, like many others in the Albanian team and in general, speaks Italian, so there won't be many secrets on and off the pitch.

With Italy once again struggling to find a goalscorer, Gianluca Scamacca looks set to be the man tasked with finding the back of the net and against Albania, he will be up against his Atalanta counterpart Berat Gjimshiti. Both helped Atalanta win their first European trophy just a few weeks ago in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, but this time they find themselves as rivals in Europe.

If Italy are to start with a win, they will have to break down a stubborn Albania defense which conceded just four goals in qualifying.

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