Italian Sky Sports and Gazzetta dello Sport, among other media outlets, reported that Italy is planning to shift to a 3-4-2-1 formation for the knockout stages of the European Championship, with Spalletti potentially looking to the defensive wildcard Gianluca Mancini.
In this European Championship, Italy’s coach Spalletti has been labeled a “transformer” by the media due to his use of several distinct formations in the three group stage matches. Italy won their opener against Albania 2-1, lost to Spain 0-1 in the second game, and only qualified as group runners-up after a 1-1 draw with Croatia. In the first game, Italy switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation mid-game. In the second game, Italy used a 4-3-3 formation. In the third game, they used a 3-5-2 (which the media pointed out was actually a 3-1-4-2). Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport, among others, criticized Spalletti severely: “The constantly changing formations show that Italy has no clear direction.”
Italy will face Switzerland in the first round of the knockout stages. According to pre-game training, they will once again switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation. If this is the actual starting lineup, it would be the fourth different formation Italy has used in four European Championship matches.
Italian media indicated that Italy might be forced to make this change. The defensive stalwart, Alessandro Florenzi, will be suspended, and Spalletti will need to find a solution. Based on pre-game training, Gianluca Mancini is more likely to play in his place, making him a stronger candidate than “Buongiorno” (the nickname of the Roma player), who would join the Inter duo (Darmian and Bastoni) in forming a three-man defense. The change in the attacking midfield positions could also be a way to adjust for the change in defense, increasing the intensity of the forwards’ return and interception efforts.
Italy will face Switzerland in the Round of 16 on June 30th at midnight. If they qualify, they will face the winner of England vs. Slovakia in the Quarterfinals. 65-year-old Spalletti has managed Italy for 13 matches since taking over, with a record of 7 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses, scoring 21 goals and conceding 11.
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