Italy 1-0 Wales: Visitors through to last 16 despite defeat in Rome

Wales demonstrated great resolve in defeat against Italy as they clung on with 10 men for a result which was enough to secure their place in the second round of Euro 2020.

Their automatic qualification was under threat with Switzerland beating Turkey 3-1 in Group A's other fixture, but Wales withstood relentless Italian pressure to scrape through in second place on goal difference.

Italy had already qualified for the last 16 and, despite making eight changes to their team, they were still utterly dominant, Matteo Pessina's goal giving them a 1-0 half-time lead which scarcely reflected their superiority.

Wales were forced to play the final half an hour a man down after Ethan Ampadu was sent off for a lunge on Federico Bernardeschi, intensifying the Italian onslaught.

And although Italy's win was never in doubt - this was their 30th consecutive match without defeat, equalling their national record - Wales dug deep to ensure the margin of victory was not too damaging.

Finishing third may well have been enough for Wales to progress as one of the tournament's four best third-placed teams, but this result ensured they kept their destiny in their own hands.

Robert Page and his players can now look forward to a second-round match against Group B's runners-up in Amsterdam next Saturday.

As for Italy, an 11th consecutive win will see them face Group C's second-placed team at Wembley on the same day.

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Wales' nervous wait

This turned into a far more anxious afternoon than Wales had envisaged in Rome.

Their victory over Turkey last Wednesday had put them within touching distance of the knockout stages, knowing even a defeat was unlikely to halt their progress - but needing a draw to be sure of it.

With their probable last-16 tie in mind, Page benched the three players - Kieffer Moore, Ben Davies and Chris Mepham - who were one yellow card away from suspension.

There was also a change of formation as Wales switched to a 3-4-3 where a back three became very much a back five during their long spells without possession against an impressive Italy side.

The Azzurri dominated from kick-off, controlling the ball and hemming Wales into their own half for what felt like the duration of the match.

Page's side were living dangerously, with Italian shots deflecting wide or into the hands of Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward, before their luck finally ran out when Pessina flicked in from Marco Verratti's free-kick.

There was a myriad of other chances but, like a battered boxer threatening to land one decisive blow, Wales had opportunities of their own with Chris Gunter heading over and Gareth Bale wastefully clearing the bar with a left-footed volley.

Snatching a draw at Stadio Olimpico would have been a heist of the highest order, but those misses proved academic thanks to the goalkeeping of Ward and the bloody-minded defending of those in front of him.

Italy underline their tournament credentials

A third win from three group matches underlined Italy's credentials as potential Euro 2020 champions.

As four-time world champions and former winners of this competition, they are used to being among the favourites - but this team is different.

Italian football is traditionally associated with defensive rigidity, a shrewdness allied with occasional cynicism to grind out narrow victories. Before this summer, they had never scored more than two goals in a single European Championship game.

At Euro 2020, however, they won both their opening fixtures 3-0 against Turkey and Switzerland, playing with a newfound panache.

Manager Roberto Mancini made eight changes but, with some of those recalled including Paris St-Germain midfielder Verratti and Italy's top scorer in qualifying Andrea Belotti, this was still a formidable line-up.

• As it happened: 10-man Wales reach last 16 at Euro 2020

The fact that their goal came from a combination of two of their recalled players - Verratti assisting Pessina - illustrated Italy's enviable strength in depth.

Such was the authority of their display, there was never any doubt they would make it 11 wins in succession - and there were rarely any moments when they looked like conceding a first goal in more than 1,000 minutes.

Fortunately for Wales, however, Italy could not add to their lead.

This loss in Rome will rank alongside the 2-0 defeat in Bosnia & Herzegovina - the night Wales qualified for Euro 2016 - as one of the best defeats in Welsh football history.

Match stats - Ampadu's record-breaking red card

• Aged 20 years and 279 days, Wales' Ethan Ampadu became the second-youngest player to be sent off in a European Championship match after John Heitinga (20 years 217 days) for the Netherlands against the Czech Republic in 2004, while Ampadu is the outright youngest to be shown a straight red.
• Italy are now unbeaten in 30 matches in all competitions (W25 D5) since losing against Portugal in September 2018, equalling the longest unbeaten run in their history, set between 1935 and 1939.
• Wales have lost six of their seven competitive matches against Italy (W1), including all five that took place outside Wales.
• Italy have kept a clean sheet in each of their past 11 matches in all competitions, only going on a longer run once before in their history - 12 games without conceding between 1972 and 1974.
• Wales have now reached the knockout stages in all three of their appearances at major tournaments - the 1958 World Cup, Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.
• Italy have kept a clean sheet in 22 of their 41 European Championship matches (54%), three more than any other side (Germany, 18).
• Italy made eight changes to their starting XI for this match, their joint-most between games at a major tournament.
• Italy's Marco Verratti led all players in this match for touches (136), passes completed (103), chances created (five) and tackles (four), as well as assisting the goal.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Italy

Formation 4-3-3

21G Donnarumma

25Tolói19Bonucci23Bastoni13Emerson

12Pessina8Jorginho6Verratti

20Bernardeschi9Belotti14Chiesa

• 21G DonnarummaSubstituted forSiriguat 89'minutes
• 25Tolói
• 19BonucciSubstituted forAcerbiat 45'minutes
• 23Bastoni
• 13Emerson
• 12PessinaBooked at 79minsSubstituted forCastrovilliat 87'minutes
• 8JorginhoSubstituted forCristanteat 75'minutes
• 6Verratti
• 20BernardeschiSubstituted forRaspadoriat 75'minutes
• 9Belotti
• 14Chiesa

Substitutes

• 1Sirigu
• 2Di Lorenzo
• 4Spinazzola
• 5Locatelli
• 7Castrovilli
• 10Insigne
• 15Acerbi
• 16Cristante
• 17Immobile
• 18Barella
• 22Raspadori
• 26Meret

Wales

Formation 3-4-3

12Ward

6Rodon15Ampadu2Gunter

14Roberts16Morrell7Allen3N Williams

11Bale10Ramsey20James

• 12Ward
• 6Rodon
• 15AmpaduBooked at 55mins
• 2GunterBooked at 79mins
• 14Roberts
• 16MorrellSubstituted forMooreat 60'minutes
• 7AllenBooked at 51minsSubstituted forLevittat 86'minutes
• 3N WilliamsSubstituted forDaviesat 86'minutes
• 11BaleSubstituted forBrooksat 86'minutes
• 10Ramsey
• 20JamesSubstituted forWilsonat 74'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Hennessey
• 4Davies
• 5Lockyer
• 8Wilson
• 9Roberts
• 13Moore
• 17Norrington-Davies
• 18Williams
• 19Brooks
• 21Davies
• 22Mepham
• 23Levitt

Referee:

Ovidiu Hategan

Attendance:

11,541

Match Stats

Home TeamItalyAway TeamWales

Possession

Home69%

Away31%

Shots

Home23

Away3

Shots on Target

Home6

Away1

Corners

Home7

Away1

Fouls

Home14

Away12

Live Text

1. Post update

   Match ends, Italy 1, Wales 0.

2. 90'+3'

   Full Time

   Second Half ends, Italy 1, Wales 0.

3. 90'+2'

   Post update

   Attempt missed. Bryan Cristante (Italy) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Marco Verratti.

4. 89'

   Substitution

   Substitution, Italy. Salvatore Sirigu replaces Gianluigi Donnarumma.

5. 88'

   Post update

   Attempt saved. Andrea Belotti (Italy) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Giacomo Raspadori.

6. 88'

   Post update

   Attempt blocked. Giacomo Raspadori (Italy) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Federico Chiesa.

7. 88'

   Post update

   Attempt blocked. Marco Verratti (Italy) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Rafael Tolói.

8. 87'

   Substitution

   Substitution, Italy. Gaetano Castrovilli replaces Matteo Pessina.

9. 86'

   Substitution

   Substitution, Wales. Dylan Levitt replaces Joe Allen.

10. 86'

    Substitution

    Substitution, Wales. Ben Davies replaces Neco Williams.

11. 86'

    Substitution

    Substitution, Wales. David Brooks replaces Gareth Bale.

12. 84'

    Post update

    Corner, Italy. Conceded by Connor Roberts.

13. 84'

    Post update

    Attempt blocked. Federico Chiesa (Italy) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Matteo Pessina.

14. 83'

    Post update

    Attempt blocked. Federico Chiesa (Italy) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Marco Verratti.

15. 83'

    Post update

    Corner, Italy. Conceded by Joe Allen.

16. 81'

    Post update

    Francesco Acerbi (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

17. 81'

    Post update

    Foul by Kieffer Moore (Wales).

18. 80'

    Post update

    Offside, Italy. Federico Chiesa tries a through ball, but Matteo Pessina is caught offside.

19. 79'

    Booking

    Matteo Pessina (Italy) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

20. 79'

    Booking

    Chris Gunter (Wales) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

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Player of the match

VerrattiMarco Verratti

with an average of 7.45

• ItalyItalyItaly
• WalesWalesWales

Italy

Avg

1. Squad number6Player nameVerratti

   Average rating

   7.45
2. Squad number12Player namePessina

   Average rating

   7.12
3. Squad number14Player nameChiesa

   Average rating

   7.07
4. Squad number8Player nameJorginho

   Average rating

   6.79
5. Squad number20Player nameBernardeschi

   Average rating

   6.76
6. Squad number9Player nameBelotti

   Average rating

   6.75
7. Squad number19Player nameBonucci

   Average rating

   6.66
8. Squad number21Player nameG Donnarumma

   Average rating

   6.46
9. Squad number13Player nameEmerson

   Average rating

   6.41
10. Squad number23Player nameBastoni

    Average rating

    6.40
11. Squad number25Player nameTolói

    Average rating

    6.25
12. Squad number15Player nameAcerbi

    Average rating

    6.13
13. Squad number16Player nameCristante

    Average rating

    5.92
14. Squad number7Player nameCastrovilli

    Average rating

    5.90
15. Squad number22Player nameRaspadori

    Average rating

    5.90
16. Squad number1Player nameSirigu

    Average rating

    5.88

Wales

Avg

1. Squad number12Player nameWard

   Average rating

   6.39
2. Squad number6Player nameRodon

   Average rating

   5.75
3. Squad number13Player nameMoore

   Average rating

   5.74
4. Squad number3Player nameN Williams

   Average rating

   5.55
5. Squad number20Player nameJames

   Average rating

   5.52
6. Squad number15Player nameAmpadu

   Average rating

   5.41
7. Squad number10Player nameRamsey

   Average rating

   5.40
8. Squad number4Player nameDavies

   Average rating

   5.37
9. Squad number19Player nameBrooks

   Average rating

   5.37
10. Squad number14Player nameRoberts

    Average rating

    5.29
11. Squad number8Player nameWilson

    Average rating

    5.27
12. Squad number23Player nameLevitt

    Average rating

    5.25
13. Squad number2Player nameGunter

    Average rating

    5.24
14. Squad number7Player nameAllen

    Average rating

    5.10
15. Squad number16Player nameMorrell

    Average rating

    4.81
16. Squad number11Player nameBale

    Average rating

    4.72