Italy vs Albania live updates (2024)

Looking ahead to tomorrow, Sunday's action features three matches:

• Poland vs Netherlands at 2pm BST, 9am ET.
• Slovenia vs Denmark at 5pm BST, 12pm ET.
• Serbia vs England at 8pm BST, 3pm ET.

All of those games will have dedicated live blogs right here on The Athletic!

Wednesday

• Croatia vs Albania

Thursday

• Spain vs Italy

Monday June 24

• Albania vs Spain
• Croatia vs Italy

Chiesa also spoke about how Italy reacted to Albania's goal in the opening 23 seconds: "The reaction after their goal was great. We created so many chances in the first half. It was a tough blow but I also think it was a positive shock, because our reaction was amazing.

"As I said, however, we have to score more when we have so many chances. We risked conceding an equaliser during the final part of the game and it would have been a pity because we fully deserved to win."

Speaking after the match, Luciano Spalletti sounded both happy and unimpressed with his side's performance against Albania: "We thought we were better than we were in too many situations. We need to be meaner, neat and tidy in the build-up. You need to go and hurt the opposition. We thought we were brilliant at keeping possession.

"We played the game the right way. It’s true. The scoreline doesn’t reflect the difference between the two teams. We risked an equaliser late on, one ball over the top into the penalty area.

"We were never short of breath, never struggling, we tried to play that throw-in in the first minute, an attempt to do what we’ve been saying in the last few days. Managing four midfielders, who are able to play neat and tidy football, helps you. Short passes in tight areas, they seem useless but they create space in another area of the pitch."

Player of the Match Federico Chiesa spoke to UEFA.com after Italy's win: "I'm so happy for the team and our performance. Albania were very tough opponents, they had quantity and quality.

"In the future, we should learn to finish the game when we have the chance. Otherwise, you can always be at risk, as we were during the final minutes of the game."

Italy have now gone 10 straight games unbeaten in the Euros, winning seven and drawing three dating back to Euro 2016 and incorporating their title run in 2021. It's just the second time they've done so in 10 straight in the tournament, having previously done so in their first 10 matches in the competition between 1968 and 1988.

They have also become just the third side to score in 10 straight Euros matches, joining England (11) and Portugal (10).

Four Italian players – Jorginho, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella – completed at least 100 passes today.

Since 1980, only one other team has had as many players hit that mark in a single Euros match: Spain against Sweden in the Euro 2020 group stage.

Italy 2-1 Albania

• Shots: 15 - 8
• Shots on goal: 5 - 2
• Saves: 0 - 3
• Possession: 65% - 35%
• Passes attempted: 820 - 379
• Passing accuracy: 93% - 87%
• Corners: 5 - 3
• Fouls: 7 - 7
• Yellow cards: 2 - 2

Luciano Spalletti spoke to RAI in Italy after his side's win: "There were a lot of good things, particularly in the first half, but they have to lead somewhere. They can't be an end in themselves. There were opportunities to go and do damage on several occasions. We didn't go about finishing moves as fast as we could. Often we turned around and went back again to see if we'd carved out the space to finish the move."

On whether Barella is irreplaceable: "A national team can't go without anyone. We have 26 very good players so that's the wrong way to look at it."

With Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella both getting on the score sheet today, it's only the second time that two Inter Milan players have scored for Italy in the same match at a major tournament (World Cup or Euros).

The first instance came on June 17, 1970 in Italy's World Cup semi-final victory over West Germany in Mexico, which has been referred to by some as the "Game of the Century".

Jorginho recorded 131 passes tonight, the most of any player in the opening games of the tournament so far.

He couldn't match Kroos' 99 per cent completion rate though...

1. Spain: 3 points, +3 goal difference
2. Italy: 3 pts, +1 gd
3. Albania: 0 pts, -1 gd
4. Croatia: 0 pts, -3 gd

Italy have now won their opening match in each of the past four major tournaments they have appeared in: Euro 2024, Euro 2020, Euro 2016 and 2014 World Cup.

It's the first time they've done so in four straight major tournaments.

The Athletic’s James Horncastle and Nancy Froston have picked out the talking points from a intriguing game in Dortmund, looking at:

• How Albania scored the quickest goal in Euros history
• Is Barella the one player Italy can’t lose?
• Will Scamacca find his scoring touch?
• Will Sylvinho stick with Strakosha?

Follow the link below to check out their breakdown!

Apart from that shock opening goal, Italy outclassed Albania and were simply technically superior in all positions.

There is no shame in losing 2-1 to the reigning European champions though.