This European Championship is the 11th time the reigning champion, Italy, has competed in the tournament. Italy is undoubtedly a powerhouse in world football, with four World Cup titles and two European Championship titles to their name. Their vaunted steel defense is the foundation upon which their status as a top team rests.
It’s worth noting that in their previous 10 European Championship appearances, Italy has managed to keep a clean sheet in at least one match during each tournament. In the 1968 European Championship, their first appearance, they achieved clean sheets in both the semi-final and the replayed final, laying the groundwork for their eventual victory. In the 2020 European Championship, their second victory in the tournament, Italy remained undefeated in the group stage, keeping three consecutive clean sheets.
In contrast, this European Championship has seen Italy’s defense falter, leading to their elimination in the Round of 16 by Switzerland. They narrowly progressed from the group stage, but their defensive performance was woefully inadequate. In their opening group match against Albania, they conceded early, allowing their opponents to make a quick breakthrough. In the second group game against Spain, they lost 0-1 due to an own goal. In the final group match, they found themselves in a precarious position after Modric scored, and it was only a last-minute equalizer by Cazani that saved them from disaster. Then, in the Round of 16, Italy conceded twice to Switzerland, ultimately leading to their elimination.
It’s also worth mentioning that in the 2020 European Championship, despite winning the trophy, Italy conceded a goal in every match from the Round of 16 to the final. Combined with their four consecutive goals conceded in this European Championship, Italy has now conceded in eight straight European Championship matches. This is a record for consecutive goals conceded by Italy in the tournament.
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