Italy have proven once and for all that you cannot write the Azzuri off, as Antonio Conte’s men masterminded a comprehensive 2-0 win over Belgium.
Goals either side of half time to Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle handed the Italians the win, while Belgium’s exciting attack was nullified, underlining the defensive strength of Antonio Conte’s side.
Here is every player rated after an absorbing encounter:
Belgium
Thibaut Courtois – 6: Made a great save on Pelle in the second half, but could do nothing with either of the Azzuri’s goals.
Laurent Ciman – 5: Given a torrid time by Darmian as a surprise inclusion at right back. A night to forget.
Toby Alderweireld – 5: Left far too many gaps in defence which were exploited. A match to forget after a great season.
Thomas Vermaelen – 5: Looks a shadow of the player that he once was. Hugely disappointing performance.
Jan Vertonghen – 6: No real standout errors but was found out both positionally and in possession far too often.
Axel Witsel – 6: Screened the back four solidly, but like the defenders behind him, looked out of sync with his team-mates and the Italians capitalised.
Radja Nainggolan – 5: The Roma man was a victim of allowing the game to pass him by and was vastly overshadowed by his midfield opponents.
Marouane Fellaini – 6: Put himself about by way of his physicality and aerial threat but lacked polish.
Kevin De Bruyne – 4: Not good enough for someone of his pedigree. Simply did not impact the match as the team needed him to.
Eden Hazard – 7: Belgium’s best on the night. Buzzed around the front-line in what looked to be a fairly loose role, but could find an answer.
Romelu Lukaku – 5: His best chance of the night was wasted after a smart Belgium counter.
Substitutes
Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco – 5: The forward made little impact after being introduced to the action.
Divock Origi – 6: Played less than 20 minutes but found himself on the end of a few presentable chances. Failed to convert when his side needed him.
Dries Mertens – 7: Should have started. The Napoli attacker was a bright spark off the bench and pushed his case for selection against Ireland.
READ | What We Learned – Republic of Ireland 1 Sweden 1 | https://t.co/CDwVyfonGZ | #Euro2016 #IREvSWE
— Outside90 (@Outside90) June 13, 2016
Italy
Gianluigi Buffon (GK) – 6: Less busy than expected. Helped massively by his Juventus team-mates in defence.
Andrea Barzagli – 7: Provided great defensive support. Concentration was at a maximum throughout.
Leonardo Bonucci – 9: His assist for Giaccherini is the pass of the tournament thus far. Like the other members of the defensive trio, Bonucci was solid as a rock.
Giorgo Chiellini – 9: Almost faultless both aerially and on the ground. Played like a man personally offended by the notion that Italy were not favourites heading in.
Matteo Darmian – 7: Owned his flank but could not find the final ball to supplement a very good performance.
Marco Parolo – 7: Worked his socks off to frustrate the Belgians in midfield. Not an expected starter coming in, he could play a telling role in the Azzuri’s chances of success.
Daniele De Rossi – 9: Vintage De Rossi. Offered the likes of Hazard and De Bruyne little space in between the lines and will be delighted with the clean sheet.
Emanuele Giaccherini – 8: Critics well and truly answered. Took his goal sublimely and performed well outside of that.
Antonio Candreva – 7: Killed the game by supplying Pelle the cross for the second goal. Like Darmian on the left, Candreva was imperious on the right flank.
Graziano Pelle – 8: Took his goal well and was a great focal point for Conte’s side.
Éder – 6: The game passed him by and did not offer much going forward, but worked hard to deny his opponents time and space in possession.
Substitutes
Mattia De Sciglio – 6: Carried on the good work after replacing Darmian.
Thiago Motta – 7: After his inclusion in the squad was initially criticised, Motta showed his battling qualities to help Italy towards a crucial win.
Ciro Immobile – 6: Tested Courtois late on from long range. Looked to be enjoying himself as the game opened up.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
