Spalletti after the win against North Macedonia: “The match was well-played for the full ninety minutes, but then we lost some concentration when the result seemed already secured.”
Luciano Spalletti, clearly satisfied after the victory against North Macedonia that brings Italy closer to Euro 2024 declared: “The 20 minutes of confusion? I believe the team played a good game for the full 90 minutes. Unfortunately, sometimes, when the result seems assured, there is a tendency to lower the intensity and fight less for the ball.”
Then the Italian coach commented on the goals conceded: “We knew that on set pieces, we might struggle a bit with height compared to them. The second goal, however, was different. Regardless I would rather emphasize the team’s reaction after conceding the 3-2.”
Italy scored a remarkable 5 goals, a rare occurrence: “We have a lot of quality in attack, there has been a significant step forward in this regard. In fact, we had even more opportunities to score,” he told Rai.
Then it was impossible not to mention Jorginho’s missed penalty: “He deserves our congratulations. He didn’t angle the ball perfectly, but the goalkeeper was excellent. He remains the penalty taker for Italy.” In the press conference, the coach added: “After the game I told him that he will take the next penalty, and he said yes.“
Speaking to Sky, Spalletti praised Chiesa: “He has bursts and flashes where he combines both the engine and the trigger because when he decides to take on the defender, he uses both technique and strength. In finishing, he is lethal when starting from the left.”
Finally, looking ahead to the Ukraine match: “We’ll see how the team feels after this game, but I don’t anticipate major changes. We need to repeat what we did tonight.”
