Italy coach on Austria’s performance: “They make you…

Austria is not as good as the teams still waiting for Italy in the next round, but you will know that “it could be more difficult than the quarter-finals”. The Italian media also praised the performance of the red, white and red team.

Italian football chief Roberto Mancini fell from his heart with a stone late on Saturday night. His team has never faced much resistance in this tournament. Top favorites Austria, meanwhile, has brought the national record of 31 games in a row unbeaten, to the brink of defeat in the round of 16 of the European Championship. Mancini was not surprised. “We knew it could be more difficult than the quarter-finals.”

In the end, Italy beat Wembley 2-1 after extra time – a great match. “Austria is putting Italy in an unprecedented predicament,” Gazzetta dello Sport said in its Sunday edition. This was mainly because of the way the Austrians played and their physique. Time and time again they put the Italians under pressure with high pressure. The favorite staggered but did not fall. In Friday’s quarter-final in Munich, world number one Belgium or defending champion Portugal await.

“Austria, of course, is not as good as the teams we will meet in the next round,” Mancini said. “But they make your life very difficult. We’ve watched a lot of their matches – and they really get you in trouble.” The Italians really only dominated in the first half. “We should have scored,” said Mancini. “We stumbled a little later because Austria is hard to break through.” And the newspaper “Corriere dello Sport” sports that Austria is difficult to deal with. Like some of his cakes.

We knew they were going to put pressure on us like that.”

In the extension, substitute Federico Chiesa broke the spell with a great job. “I think we deserve the promotion,” said the match winner. Assistant Leonardo Spinazzola was named player of the game – for the second time in Italy’s four previous matches at the European Championship. The attacking left-back from Roma is one of the discoveries of the tournament. “We knew that Austria were a very strong team physically and that they were going to put pressure on us like that,” said the 28-year-old. “But we showed that we are a great team – even when it was tough, we held it together.”

This also applies to the Belgians or the Portuguese, who faced each other on Sunday evening (9pm / live ORF 1) in Seville. Mancini did not want to commit to whether he would prefer playing against Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne & Co. or against Cristiano Ronaldo. “When you reach the quarter-finals, it will not be easy. Ideally, we would have liked to avoid both, but it is not possible.” Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who lost to the Austrians in the national team for the first time this year, takes it as it comes. “No matter who we play against, we will approach the match with the right behaviour.”

International press reviews

Great Britain

“Sunday Mail”: “Italy, voted the best team in this European championship by many, survived last night at Wembley with a massive shock against Austria and reached the quarter-finals. Roberto Mancini, the king of calm, looked calm. Shaggy, when the final whistle At the end of extra time I saved his team from the biggest shock of the tournament so far.”

The Sunday Times: “Wembley is so lively, it has been home to flag-wearing Austrians and bustling Italians chanting their national anthem. The stadium saw its best – sorry England – at Euro 2020. Italy’s pace and goal counter-attacks and security. Passes spoke for a confident team. With the best midfielders in the tournament.”

Sunday Telegraph: “Roberto Mancini’s unbeatable youth in blue continues their run through Euro 2020 – a team that seems to have forgotten the feeling of losing and has shown, deep in extra time at Wembley, that they know how to handle the pressures of the tournament.”

Germany

“BILD am Sonntag”: “Italy with a world record in the quarter-finals! The first goal was conceded after 1170 minutes – Calajdic scored too late for the brave Oasis. Italy is still Italy. In the preliminary round, Roberto Mancini’s team (56) impressed with a football Brilliant attacking in the round of 16 in front of 18910 spectators in London there was a 2-1 victory over the brave Austrians after extra time.Italy showed itself especially after the break, as it was before: defensive stable, exhausting offensive.The team’s video guide twice helps Azura Federico Chiesa (23) and Italy (95) were taken back by the Joker.

Welt am Sonntag: “Austria narrowly missed the miracle. Losing to Italy in overtime. The feeling was at hand. Austria forced Italy to take extra time in the last 16 of the European Championships in London 0-0, but in the end the favorite sat down The highest score is 2-1. Austria leaves with their heads held high.”

Spain

“Marca”: “Italy looks in time against the brave Austrians at the end of the day. A match that Mancini’s men did not find easy. Calajic’s goal in the 113th minute made the Italians nervous. Italy, the team of records, is full of victories in the group stage, which surpassed the record In unbeaten matches and showing a happy and strong match, she had to suffer indescribably against the brave and organized Austria who wanted to go offensively to the quarter-finals.”

“As”: “EURO says goodbye to Bale and Alaba. Austria falls after bringing Austria into overtime. Italy also knows how to win the old-fashioned way. Austria were heroic and deserve to go into overtime, but there they fell against the quality of the Mancinen players who won in the quarter The final – much more complex than expected.”

France

L’Equipe: “Italy freaked out, but they eliminated Austria in the second round of the European Championship. Italy could not make a decision in the original time on Saturday, Italy had to wait until extra time to qualify for the quarter-finals of the European Cup. On paper, it was not Austria has almost no chance before the match, but Italy was almost destroyed, defeated and pushed into overtime by their rivals across the Alps.”

Switzerland

Blick: “Ösis is in the Valley of Tears. The clowns replace Italy in overtime. What a nervous match at Wembley: Only Ösis battles Italy 2-1 in overtime. All scorers are substituted.”

(APA / DPA)