The stage was set for a hero to take the plunge and win the hearts of his nations at Wembley Stadium.
On Saturday night, new Euro 2020 favorites saw Italy against underdogs Austria, in a game that should have been routine for the troubled Azzurri.
However, it was far from straight forward. After 90 minutes, Italy and Austria were at a standstill. 0-0. Roberto Mancini dipped his hand in his bag of tricks and pulled out the joker in the package: Federico Chiesa.
The Juventus star is electric, a power cable, a lighted fuse and then incredibly unpredictable and unpredictable. These qualities make him both a boss’ dream and their nightmare. Can you trust him to fit into a system? Or will he uneven the whole ship?
It is a risk that must be taken at some point. After 84 minutes, Mancini turned to their joker and asked for some magic.
A Hero in the Beginning / FRANK AUGSTEIN / Getty Images
In 95 minutes he delivered.
It was a moment of pure brilliance, worthy of breaking the toughest deadlocks.
Leonardo Spinazzola, another of Italy’s heroes, floated a lovely ball from left to right, just asking someone to take it down and take advantage. Chiesa felt it was his moment, controlled the ball with his forehead, slammed into a defender and placed his head over the ball.
The wing struck a shot with all its might, and certainly, it career passed Daniel Bachmann and in the back of the net.
Paradise.
Chiesa rolled away and celebrated with all the passion and desire you would expect from a full-blooded, committed Italian.
It would take something special to break the deadlock in this game.
Step forward, Federico Chiesa !?
Watch and listen to BBChttps: //t.co/yOtHPsZOTc#ITAUT # Euro2020 # bbceuro2020 pic.twitter.com/5PqdQLhkXK
Today’s match (@BBCMOTD) June 26, 2021
It was a goal that brought the game to life. Matteo Pessina put Italy 2-0 ahead, and Sasa Kalajdzic then got Austria back within one.
Chiesa later showed their more frustrating side, competing cleanly with the ball and showing a bit of naivety, losing possession instead of keeping it and leaving their opponents another piece on the cherry in injury time.
In the end, it was not for Austria, and Chiesa ended the night as the hero. His goal sent a significant message to his coach and sent a thunderbolt through Italian hearts everywhere. He may be unpredictable, but he is a cashier.
