Federico Chiesa walked out on to the Wembley pitch with six minutes of normal time remaining and this tight, fretful last-16 tie still goalless. The story of the game to that point had been a finely wrought defensive performance from Austria, who showed great resolve against a team most expected to simply blow them away.
The final whistle came as a relief to Italy’s players, who fell into an angsty-looking huddle around their manager. Roberto Mancini’s message was clear even from the sidelines. Take a breath, reset the throttle. And Italy did find another gear.
Chiesa’s first real act was to burst through on the right and fire in a low shot. Moments later, with the clock ticking over to 94 minutes, he did something startling, creeping in behind on that same flank, controlling a high ball with his head and shoulder, skipping inside Martin Hinteregger, then absolutely spanking his shot back across goal and into the corner.
It was a wonderful goal, an expression of Chiesa’s own high-grade cutting edge, and a moment of decision that Italy desperately needed after a woolly second half. Ten minutes later Matteo Pessina added a second, picking up a loose ball after a corner and turning to clip a wonderfully executed shot across Daniel Bachmann and into the other corner.
Italy had shown resolve here to extract themselves from a gruelling game. A quarter-final in Munich awaits. The sense of a team striding their way through this tournament was always going to fade at some point. But they will be stronger for this awkward experience, and for the relief of that burst of energy in extra time.
And by the end the second of these knockout games felt like a microcosm of the Euros so far, an entertaining, full-throttle match-up between two teams playing at the edge of their emotions.
Wembley’s vast craning tiers had been speckled with itinerant Italians and Austrians at kick-off, small islands of blue and red in the middle of all those empty flip-up seats.
This trans-Alpine derby carries its own historical notes. Italy’s national anthem was at one time banned in Italy for being too anti-Austrian, legacy of Habsburg imperial power in the region.
Those red and white shirts started with some purpose here. Xaver Schlager was a busy, bruising presence in central midfield, and Italy took a moment to settle.
Mancini had retained Marco Verratti in midfield but Italy’s system carries no real mystery: a 4-3-3 with a marauding full-back presence on the left and well drilled pressing. Stopping it has been another matter.
But Austria were calm in possession early on and quick to cover on the flanks. Leonardo Spinazzola made one early dash down the rails, and another on 10 minutes that ended with a shot into the side netting. He is a prodigious physical presence, with something of Javier Zanetti in his cavalry-guard sorties.
Italy’s first shot at goal came from that side, Spinazzola cantering off once again and threading a pass back for Nicolò Barella, whose low shot was blocked by a scrambling Bachmann.
Suddenly Austria were under siege, the blue shirts buzzing with that familiar shared energy. Hinteregger led one storming break out of the blockades. His pass to Marko Arnautovic was slightly off. Arnautovic, as ever the artist, the maestro, the sulk, let him know.
With 31 minutes gone Ciro Immobile turned and pinged a wonderful dipping shot on to the top of the post. By the break Italy had mustered 11 attempts at goal to Austria’s one and generated periods of smothering dominance, without finding the moment of incision.
Austria might have been swamped. But they started the second half brightly, keeping the ball, then forcing a free-kick as Giovanni Di Lorenzo was booked for a foul right on the edge of the Italy box. David Alaba spun the ball over the wall but couldn’t make it drop.
Austria had already nailed down the threat of Italy’s left side. Steadily they began to assert themselves, and on 64 minutes seemed to have taken the lead, thanks to a fine headed finish from Arnautovic. It was ruled out by VAR for offside. Italy had looked utterly crushed walking back for the kick-off.
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As the 90 minutes ticked away it was all Austria for a while, Marcel Sabitzer spinning and twirling and providing the link for a series of fluent attacks. Mancini strolled his touchline, plotting his changes. He played his hand beautifully. But there was still time for a late alarm as Sasa Kalajdzic pulled a goal back for Austria, the first Italy have conceded since October 2020.
Austria’s players stayed on the pitch at the end, forming a huddle in the centre circle. They can be hugely proud of their efforts, and a show of defensive stitching that will be of some interest to future opponents.
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