Agency Report — International tournaments always pit some of the strongest footballing nations up against each other, but it’s often those all-star games that prove to be the most disappointing.
However, you certainly couldn’t accuse the Euro 2020 quarter-final between Italy and Belgium of resembling a chess match with both sides throwing the kitchen sink at each other.
And it was the ‘dark horses’ of the tournament that struck the first blow at the Allianz Arena with Nicolo Barella finding the net after Leonardo Bonucci’s strike was ruled out by VAR.
The Inter Milan forward showed beautiful footwork in the penalty area, before firing an emphatic strike past Thibaut Courtois’ reach and even bringing Ciro Immobile back to life along the way.
But the best was still to come for the Azzuri who bagged what proved to be the goal-deciding game from Lorenzo Insigne, who produced an astonishing hit to double Italy’s lead before half-time.
The diminutive Italian put so much whip on the ball that you’d think it crossed the Austrian border on the way to curling back in and rippling the Bavarian net.
