The Italian team rose from the blow received from Spain in the semifinals to repeat third place in the League of Nations and leave Ronald Koeman in command of the Netherlands in a delicate situation, a vulnerable team that conceded seven goals in the two games of the final phase and received whistles from the fans of the host who disappointed.
Italy’s pride exploited the vulnerability of the Netherlands. Missing Koeman, in times of reconstruction, two references such as De Ligt and Memphis Depay, in a tournament in which the hopes of winning a title 35 years later turned into deep disappointment.
The Italian competitive character prevailed from the beginning. On this occasion turning around what happened in the semifinals, with Yeremy Pino’s early goal. It was the ‘azzurra’ who started hitting with barely six minutes into the game, when Dimarco exhibited his powerful left foot. From an action that began with a rise on the wing and a cross passed from his side, he ended up being in the area of ??the box where the ball returned to sign a magnificent definition of a left-footed outsider.
The same Dutch insecurity exhibited against Croatia reappeared. Faced with a more intense Italy, he did not find a way to generate danger in the first act. A header from Van Dijk, who asked for a handball penalty, was the only arrival before receiving a new blow. Frattesi made the second at will after 20 minutes, after several rejections.
Dimarco always appeared dangerous, who was able to turn the duel into a win with a left-footed shot that caressed the squad. A winger who, in the same way that he speeds up the left lane to find dangerous passes, drops down towards the center to exploit his good hitting.
The Netherlands, as in the semifinals, relied on the quality of De Jong in the creation and the will of Gapko, with the aim diverted by forgiving the clearest before the break with everything to score, but chipping the ball so that it grazed the post. The complaint from the local fans with whistles spurred the players on in the second act. He was proud of his little football in the Netherlands, who sought a tie until the end.
He increased his presence in the rival area with the entry of a striker like Weghorst, hung more balls and caused Italy to back down. At his insistence he ended up scoring, after Gapko’s cross, Bergwijn’s great control and his maneuver, stepping on the ball with his right foot and scoring with a dry left footed shot.
But the hopes of a weak team barely lasted five minutes. Italy hooked several counters and on the third Chiesa did not forgive, with the entire lane free to run and crossing his shot to Bijlow. The only thing left for the Netherlands to fight to the end and they came to see the penalties up close after Weghorst’s goal was annulled from the VAR for offside and the final 2-3 from Wijnaldum to a pass from De Jong. Mancini found an answer in the young; Koeman is in trouble.
Paizes Bajos: Bijlow; Dumfries, Geertruida (Wijnaldum, m.46), Van Dijk, Aké; Wieffer (Veerman, m.76), De Jong, Simons (Koopmeiners, m.63); Malen (Bergwijn, m.46), Gakpo y Lang (Weghorst, m.46).
Italy: Donnarumma; Tolói, Acerbi, Buongiorno, Dimarco (Spinazzola, m.74); Frattesi, Cristante, Verratti (Barella, m.85); Gnonto (Zaniolo, m.63), Retegui (Pellegrini, m.85) and Raspadori (Church, m.63).
Goals: 0-1, m.6: Dimarco. 0-2, m.20: Frattesi. 1-2, m.68: Bergwijn. 1-3, m.73: Chiesa. 2-3, m.90: Wijnald
Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden). He admonished Weghorst (95) for the Netherlands; and Dimarco (34), Barella (92) and Acerbi (95) for Italy.
Incidents: consolation final of the third edition of the League of Nations, played at the Twente Stadion in Enschede before 22,000 spectators.
