Defending champions Italy fought from behind to beat Albania 2-1 on Saturday evening in their Euro 2024 group stage match.
Albania stunned their opponents with a record-breaking goal just 23 seconds into the match. Nedim Bajrami made history by thrashing a strike into the top right corner after Federico Dimarco miscalculated a throw-in, making it the fastest goal in the history of the European Championship.
Despite the early setback, the holders quickly regained their composure. Alessandro Bastoni headed home Lorenzo Pellegrini’s inswinging delivery from a clever short corner to level the score in the 11th minute. Nicolo Barella then put Italy ahead five minutes later with a powerful strike from 20 yards.
Azzure dominated the rest of the first half, entering the break with 72.2% of possession and 13 shots compared to Albania’s four. Although Albania’s initial goal gave them a brief lead, they were largely unable to challenge Italy’s control of the match.
In the second half, the two time-champions continued to press but were kept at bay by Albania’s goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha, who made several key saves. He pushed a Davide Frattesi effort against the post and denied Gianluca Scamacca from close range to prevent Italy from increasing their lead.
🥇🇮🇹 UEFA Player of the Match for Italy vs Albania: Federico Chiesa. pic.twitter.com/UHEJCWkTxQ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 15, 2024
Albania’s best chance to equalize came late in the match, but Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a shot from Rey Manaj, ensuring Italy’s victory. Despite their early goal and improved performance, Albania could not find a way back into the match.
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Italy’s ability to bounce back from the early shock and secure the win demonstrates their resilience as they aim to defend their title. With this victory, Italy takes a crucial step forward in their Euro 2024 campaign.
