According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Albertini suggested that Italy shouldn’t just defend against Spain, saying the game is 90 minutes, not 45. He also praised Barella, saying he can be compared to Conte in his early career and Xavi in Barcelona’s final seasons.
The two first discussed the exciting clash between Spain and Italy. He said: “In this game, Spain will want to win by controlling the ball and using 1-on-1 challenges. Italy must go out and push the opponent back into their own half. If Spain sticks to defending their own half, it will be a difficult game for us.”
He then praised Barella, who performed brilliantly in the first game. “Whether with or without the ball, Barella is one of the best players. Compared to the 1990s and 2000s, the role of the midfielder has changed a lot. They need to cover more areas of the pitch, and Barella is like Conte in his early career and Xavi in the last few seasons at Barcelona.” 
He then briefly shared his thoughts on Italy’s first game. “I really liked our reaction to conceding an early goal and our performance in the first half of the first game. But after half-time, things were not the same. We can’t give Spain as much space as we did against Albania. Spalletti has brought passion back to the national team, but we shouldn’t forget that the game is 90 minutes, not 45.”
He then discussed the game strategy. “Our players can’t just sit back and defend passively. Against Spain, if you just defend, you’ll concede one goal, maybe more. They’ll keep us from getting the ball, so we have to find a way to push them back. We need to attack them at the right time. We are Italy, we are fearless.”
Finally, he discussed Yamal. “Yamal has a bright future. He still needs to work hard. When you have that kind of talent, it’s like a mission. I’ve seen too many players like that, who should have done more but couldn’t make the physical sacrifices. I hope he doesn’t become one of them.”
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