EURO 2020 : Italy’s attacking efficiency triumphs over Turkey’s excessive defensive plans – tactical analysis

Italy hosted Turkey at the opening game of the long-awaited EURO 2020 and it was an entertaining first match for the lovers of the game. The final result was 3-0 for the Azzurri who proved that they can reach the advanced stages of the tournament since their performance was convincing especially during the second-half. Turkey however did not show a lot of what they are capable of achieving and they lost their first match without making any concrete reaction. Nevertheless, they will strive to bounce back when they face Wales and Switzerland in order to secure a ticket for the knockout stage.

In this tactical analysis article, we will explore what happened during this EURO 2020 match, how did Italy deserve the win more than Turkey, why did the tactics of Turkey fail, and how were the Azzurri able to break down their opponent’s compact defence more than three times.

Line-ups

Turkey’s head coach, Şenol Güneş, opted for the 4-1-4-1 formation for this first fixture by using Uğurcan Çakır as a goalkeeper, Zeki Çelik, Merih Demiral, Çağlar Söyüncü and Umut Meraş in defence, Okay Yokuşlu, Yusuf Yazıcı, Ozan Tufan as central midfielders with Kenan Karaman and Hakan Çalhanoğlu as wingers to support Burak Yılmaz, the team’s striker.

On the other hand, Roberto Mancini relied on his usual 4-3-3 formation with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, Alessandro Florenzi, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Spinazzola in defence, Nicolò Barella, Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli as central midfielders with Domenico Berardi and Lorenzo Insigne playing as wingers behind the striker Ciro Immobile.

Italy’s attacking performance

Italy started the match in a positive way by keeping possession and circulating the ball without being in a hurry even when they build up from defence. This precise and continuous circulation of the ball was one of Italy’s key tools to dominate the game and prevent Turkey from being dangerous.

The 63% possession rate showcased Italy’s players’ confidence and determination to win this match by imposing their style that is based mainly on possession, quick short passes and movement without the ball. To do so successfully, the players needed to be 100% focused and patient especially when in possession, otherwise, their actions would not have been concluded well. And although they committed some passing accuracy mistakes in the first-half, they made up for that in the second-half by being clinical in the final third and giving numerous key passes to the front three.