Now taking part at an 11th European Championship, Italy can join Germany and Spain on three wins if they go on to retain the Henri Delaunay Trophy next month in Berlin.
They will also attempt to become just the second team to win successive Euros after their Spanish counterparts did so in 2008 and 2012 – but few pundits have Luciano Spalletti’s side among the favourites to prevail.
The Azzurri have arrived in Germany unbeaten in six games, yet the spectre of failing to qualify for the last World Cup – and then only squeezing through qualifying after losing former boss Roberto Mancini – looms in the background.
Since succeeding Euro 2020-winner Mancini last year, Spalletti has nonetheless steered his nation to six wins and three draws – and Italy are ranked ninth in the world by FIFA – but a tough task awaits in Group B: Spain, Croatia and Albania will all pose problems for an injury-hit squad.
Despite defensive absences, La Nazionale have not conceded a goal in their last 317 minutes of play – including a 0-0 draw with Turkey and Sunday’s 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in two pre-tournament friendlies – and they will now try to maintain an impressive record at European Championships.
Italy have conceded a miserly sum of just six goals across their last 12 matches in the competition, the most recent of which was in their 2021 triumph at Wembley, when upsetting final hosts England to claim glory via a penalty shootout.
To aid their aim of repeating that feat, the Azzurri must surely take care of business in Dortmund, as ahead of two testing group fixtures, they meet opponents they have beaten in all four previous meetings.
The Eagles were still eliminated on that occasion, and current coach Sylvinho – the first Brazilian boss to lead a side at the Euros since Luiz Felipe
Scolari in 2008 – has a huge job on his hands to avoid an early exit in Germany.
Certainly, recent friendly successes over Liechtenstein and Azerbaijan – the latter a 3-1 win in Tirana last week – will do little to persuade doubters that Albania can progress from this year’s ‘Group of Death’.
Nevertheless, they have very little to lose in Group B and have become ever more accustomed to winning, so an upset or two could be on the agenda.
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