Spinazzola absence an extra motivator as Italy chase Euro 2020 glory

 

Leonardo Spinazzola wasn't even first choice left-back for Italy earlier this year. Roberto Mancini had used Emerson from the get go in two of the Azzurri's three World Cup qualifiers back in March, hinting the Chelsea man would be given the nod to feature at the back for Italy this summer. 

 

However, Emerson's lack of game time in a Chelsea shirt ultimately cost him. The 26-year-old was never really considered a first choice following his arrival from Roma in 2018 and his inability to force his way into the side, particularly once Thomas Tuchel took over the reins in January, meant he dropped behind Spinazzola in the pecking order. 

 

Spinazzola was more solid than spectacular for Roma in Serie A last season, scoring two and providing four assists from left wing-back for the capital outfit and returning a WhoScored rating of 6.98. 

 

 

That said, even when dropped to a deeper position in defence by Mancini this summer, Spinazzola has been a revelation at Euro 2020. The 28-year-old has just one assist to his name at the competition, but that doesn't tell the full story of his impact down the Italy left. The Roma star has made eight key assists at Euro 2020, a return only Jordi Alba (11), David Alaba (10) and Andrew Robertson (9) can better of all left-backs. 

 

Furthermore, only Luke Shaw (7.49) has returned a better WhoScored rating than Spinazzola (7.37) at Euro 2020. Without the former's excellent display against Ukraine on Saturday night, the latter would top this metric. Unfotunately for Italy fans, though, is that Spinazzola won't have the opportunity to better his rating this summer. 

 

With 10 minutes to play in Italy's 2-1 win over Belgium on Friday night, Spinazzola pulled up while chasing the ball and left the Allianz Arena pitch on a stretcher in tears. Scans later revealed that Spinazzola had ruptured his left Achilles and not only is Euro 2020 over for the left-back, but likely 2021 too. 

 

There are heartwarming videos of the Italy squad chanting the player's name on their plane back to their training base from Munich on Friday night and giving Spinazzola a heroes reception during a meal the following day. You'd be hard pressed to find any supporter, Italy or otherwise, who isn't gutted to see Spinazzola's Euro 2020 campaign come to a premature end. 

 

Not only has the left-back been a creative outlet for Italy out wide, but his bombarding runs up field have been a joy to watch as he overlapped Lorenzo Insigne with aplomb. Only Joakim Maehle (11) has completed more dribbles than Spinazzola (7) of defenders at Euro 2020 as he provided that additional attacking outlet from the left when Insigne did look to cut inside and it helped Italy overload opponents down this side of the pitch, with 42% of their attacks coming down the left. 

 

The pressure is on Emerson then to replicate Spinazzola's attacking output and while a trusted player by Mancini, rustiness could come back to haunt the Azzurri in their semi-final showdown with Spain, though with poor finishing proving problematic for La Roja this summer, it may not be as big a blow as feared.   

 

 

Even having scored more goals (12) than any other team at Euro 2020, 10 of those came in two games against Slovakia and Croatia. Indeed, Spain have missed at least seven more clear-cut chances (18) than any other team at Euro 2020. Against an Italy side that hasn't conceded a goal from open play in 13 matches, stretching back to Donny van de Beek's strike for the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League last season, Spain need to get their act together in the final third. 

 

They'll likely target Emerson as a means of getting the better of Italy, but even then, the Italian wall of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci lie in wait. And as if Italy didn't need additional motivation to win Euro 2020, the injury to Spinazzola, arguably one of the players of the tournament so far, will be an extra motivator for this Italy outfit that is, without doubt, one of the tightest knit groups at the competition.

Spinazzola absence an extra motivator as Italy chase Euro 2020 glory