It's time to talk about Italy.
Roberto Mancini's men are the first players to make their way into the Euro 2020 knockout rounds after beating Switzerland 3-0 in Rome on Wednesday night, but they already look like a team that believes that they can go much further than this. It may not be a group full of superstars boasted by major tournament squads of the past, but they are crucially a team. And a confident, well-drilled one at that.
While a lot of money has gone to France, Belgium or England to lift the trophy at Wembley on 11 July, Italy's troubles seem to be looming large.
They play Wales at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday to decide who will top Group A before a potential last-16 match against Austria or Ukraine and then a blockbuster quarter-final with Belgium. Marco Verratti should have recovered from the injury by then, but Italy have been so dominant in their opening two games that the talismanic Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has barely left.
Mancini's only concern at the moment is the injury that forced captain Giorgio Chiellini into the start against Switzerland, although the 36-year-old's hamstring problem was not severe enough to celebrate Manuel Locatelli's brilliantly worked opening goal. to prevent him from jumping off the bench. In the middle of the first half. Locatelli's second of the night, a fierce left-footed rocket drill from the edge of the penalty area into the corner of the net was equally good and Ciro Immobil's late third was the icing on the cake.
There's a swagger about Azurri that everyone else should be concerned about.
"Switzerland is a strong side, we knew it would be a tough game and it was," Mancini said later. "We created a lot of chances and we deserved to win. We were struggling in the opening minutes, but then we pushed them high and forced them to make mistakes. They did really well, it was not easy, five days His second game in and it's very hot."
Asked about Chiellini, Mancini said: "We'll see [Thursday] and hope it's nothing serious."
With such a limited amount of time together, it can be difficult for international teams to function as a single unit, but Mancini has made things easier in the wake of a disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign in May 2018 that saw a place in the tournament. failed in in Russia. Mancini has already been given a contract extension until 2026, but he could have a life-long job by the end of the summer if his team continues to play like this. The former international and Manchester City manager defended Italy like Italy and attacked with all his flair as a player. It's a terrifying combination.
The win over Switzerland, as the scoreline shows, was their 10th in a row, while also an incredible unbeaten run under Mancini, which stretched to September 2018. His last target was achieved in October 2020 and looking at the way he defended Rome, it was easy to see why.
Once Switzerland broke through Steven Zuber, his effort was skillfully saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma. The game had already been won when the ball bounced invitingly to Xherdan Shaqiri to whip into a consolation goal, but the Liverpool forward was still met with a wave of blue shirts that crashed around him.
"I am interested in winning, whether we believe it or not is irrelevant, as long as we keep winning," said Francesco Acerbi, who replaced the injured Chiellini. "We try to attack and defend as a team, so we score many goals and give very few. It's going well so far.
"There may be three or four sides in the tournament that have better talent or individuals, but I said before the competition started that there was something in the air with this group. I think we can go too far."
The figures speak for themselves.
In 2021, Italy's record is seven games, seven wins, 31 runs scored and no one has won. At Euro 2020, it's two games, six points and six goals.
Only France in 1984 and Germany in 1996 began a European Championship without any conditions with consecutive victories by at least two-goal margins, and both teams went on to win. Italy's class of 2021 has every chance to join him.