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Conte vindicated: How Italy conquered Spain with suffocating game plan

Reuters

You could hear Antonio Conte as he barked orders from the sideline. Italy had already shocked Spain with a goal off a set piece in the first half of Monday's Round of 16 clash, but he couldn't let the tempo die down.

He has already mouthed obscenities at his own players and kicked balls out of frustration, but everything he has done has a purpose.

He's obliged the media their 15 minutes of coverage at Italy's training session, and that's it. He gets one player to deliver a speech before every match. He's all about protecting and nurturing the group, and perhaps that is why Italy managed to outshine Spain - for so long the ultimate team - with a constellation of lesser stars.

"Our confidence was there from the first day of training. Conte made us feel secure, with modest and hard work," Eder, the otherwise-out-of-form Inter striker whom Conte selected against conventional wisdom said afterwards. "We fear nobody."

On paper, Italy's midfield trio of Emanuele Giaccherini, Daniele De Rossi, and Marco Parolo pales in comparison to Spain's Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, and Andres Iniesta. But not by chance, Conte has coaxed a quarter-finalist out of a team of remarkably unspectacular players, and ended an era of Spanish dominance all the same.

The Azzurri could've scored more than two goals on this day had David De Gea not produced three magnificent quick-trigger saves. The score line flattered Spain in many ways. The Spanish couldn't keep hold of the ball, and when they did have it, they didn't know where to go. In all, they had just 23 touches in the opposing box and could only probe around the 18-yard area.

The Juventus connection at the back stayed firm.

(Courtesy: Stats Zone)

The key here was that Italy didn't allow Spain to set the tone early. Conte's men kicked off with a goal in mind. Early signs showed they would have to beat a world-class goalkeeper on his game, and as chances went begging, there was a feeling Italy would come to rue the missed opportunities.

But Italy didn't abandon its pressing game. Even after Giorgio Chiellini banged in the opening marker, taking advantage of free space in the penalty area, the Azzurri didn't fall back and allow Spain to dictate the play. In effect, Conte took Vicente Del Bosque's main tactic - possession of the ball - away from him.

Nothing Conte has done with this squad is a secret. He openly told the media that he wants his teams to attack. The counter is not something he relishes. It was a weird sight to see Italy sit back and defend against Ireland a few days prior, and incidentally that mentality led to a loss.

Italy has only made use of the counterattack late in games. Graziano Pelle put his foot on the end of two such sequences of play, smashing volleys against Belgium and Spain past the 90th-minute mark.

"I made a good prediction in saying we wouldn't be sacrificial lambs. We had to be extraordinary and the boys had it in them," said Conte. "We got the result by playing football. Those who know me know that's my way. I'm looking for the balance, and defending counts too."

Conte also knows that the crop of players from his homeland isn't exactly a bountiful harvest. In many ways, the 46-year-old is the main attraction on this team. The camera panned to Conte several times throughout the match, capturing moments of frustration and joy in equal measure.

Related - Watch: Conte goes wild celebrating Italy's win over Spain

It's something the players recognise too. Conte unifies them all. It's a democracy in the locker room. All 23 players - including the much-maligned Lorenzo Insigne, the talented Napoli forward who finally earned vital minutes Monday - have a role.

Before the match, it was Giaccherini's turn to pump up the team. Here's yet another player whom many doubted could have an impact on this tournament. He scored Italy's first in France, and caused chaos in Spain's penalty area before Chiellini's opener.

Conte was the first to believe in these players, and if they can score another upset against Germany on Saturday, he won't be the last.

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