Late victory over Sweden shouldn't overshadow Italy's glaring shortcomings
Italy looked dead set on drawing Friday's match against Sweden, an utterly uninspiring contest between two teams that offered little attacking impetus. Manager Antonio Conte didn't panic, but he didn't dare to change anything, either, settling for like-for-like substitutions.
The game plan was a poor facsimile of Monday's against Belgium. The Azzurri were happy to give up the ball for large chunks of the contest to a clearly inferior Sweden side that has yet to register a shot on goal in this tournament, but the counterattack was dire. They trailed in passes completed and they were heading for the draw when a win would seal a spot in the Round of 16.
Unable to even touch the ball in the opposing box during a flat first half, Eder somehow found the inspiration to go on an enterprising run through the Swedish defence, and produced the winning goal that clinched the berth.
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It was vindication in a sense for Conte, who selected the Inter striker against conventional wisdom. Eder's goal was just his fourth in 2016, for either club or country, and in France, he had not shown much except a capacity to run and run some more.
He had played just as poorly as teammate Graziano Pelle, but it was the Southampton man who got the hook an hour into the proceedings.
"Conte can take the credit for taking a chance on Eder," said Italian football federation president Carlo Tavecchio. "Nobody would have done what he did."
It was, indeed, classic Italy, nicking a goal right at the end while keeping a clean sheet. This Italian team is the worst in a generation, and yet it is the second team to seal a spot in the next round. Imagine that.
The defence is as resolute as ever, with Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, and Giorgio Chiellini making up a familiar all-Juventus backline. They kept Zlatan Ibrahimovic at bay, and although Sweden threatened, it never managed to find a lane to exploit. That, and the offside flag denied the Nordic outfit.
Conte could also claim that he's getting the best out of otherwise peripheral players, including Sunderland outcast Emanuele Giaccherini, who dispatched a confident winner against Belgium.
Still, the next Chelsea boss is playing a dangerous game here. A more qualified side than Sweden would've made Italy pay for its passiveness. Sweden has rivalled Russia as the worst squad in this tournament, and yet Italy couldn't impose itself.
Eder's strike was a tremendous bit of quality, but there are better players on Conte's bench that bring it on a consistent basis. Leaving out Lorenzo Insigne and Stephan El Shaarawy in a game crying out for some creativity is indifferent coaching, even more so reckless.
Already without Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio in midfield, Italy has struggled to generate genuine chances. An unexpected run from Eder will not save this team every time.
(Courtesy: 11tegen11)
The passing against Sweden was often clumsy and mostly pedestrian. Chiellini, Bonucci, or Barzagli had to pass the ball between each other because Daniele De Rossi couldn't play it forward. The outlet wasn't there. On many occasions, Italy had to recycle possession, and other times it could only watch as the ball soared to no one.
But Italy won't let in many goals. There's always a chance that way, albeit a risky one. "Italians can't win the game against you, but you can lose the game against the Italians," the late Johan Cruyff once said. It's true of this squad.