Italy edged Bosnia 1-0 on Sunday, thanks to a brilliant first-half goal from Davide Frattesi in their final warm-up match ahead of Euro 2024. Despite the win, the performance left much to be desired, highlighting areas that need improvement before the tournament in Germany next week.
Frattesi’s goal came in the 38th minute, a superb first-time finish from a Federico Chiesa cross. “There is room for improvement. If we want to be ready, we have to put in something more and we will get there,” Frattesi told Rai. His assessment is spot on, as Italy looked uninspired for much of the match.
Italy, placed in a tough Group B with Spain, Croatia, and Albania, must up their game. Manager Luciano Spalletti has work to do. Gianluca Scamacca squandered several chances, and the Azzurri often seemed blunt in front of the goal.
Spalletti acknowledged the need for improvement, telling Sky Sport, “We did what we had to do. We are convinced that we have a good team, we will just have to get into the atmosphere of a real match.”
The defense, led by Gianluigi Donnarumma, was tested early. Donnarumma made key saves, notably stopping a low strike by Haris Hajradinovic and a Jusuf Gazibegovic free kick. These moments underscored the shaky start Italy had, nearly falling behind to a team that didn’t qualify for Euro 2024.
Spalletti made nine changes from Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Turkey, keeping Chiesa and Jorginho in the lineup. This constant shuffling might have affected the team’s cohesion, but it also gave Spalletti a chance to assess his options.
Italy’s Euro 2024 campaign begins on Saturday against Albania, followed by matches against Spain and Croatia. Frattesi, Italy’s top scorer since his debut in June 2022, will be key. “We saw some good things,” he noted, hopeful yet aware of the challenges ahead.
As the tournament looms, Italy must fine-tune their strategy and execution. Their performance against Bosnia, while victorious, signals that there’s still much to address if they hope to make a deep run in Euro 2024.
