Can Italy reach the Euro 2021 final?
Italy will be hoping to possibly get a longer run than they have in previous years. With very disappointing runs in previous World Cups, and not amazing runs in the Euros previously, Italy has been disappointing to watch in the last decade-ish. However, we are starting to see the emergence of Italian talent once again. I think if any year marks the beginning of a new Italian national team, it is within the next few years.
GK: Obviously you cannot regard Italian keepers right now without mentioning Gianluigi Donnarumma. He took the world by storm a few years back and has been playing at the top level for many years now. And as of right now (13 Feb 2021) he is only 21. Shocking. However, mentioning that, there is not really anyone else who could take the gloves away from his anyway. Buffon has since retired from international football and hasn’t been called back since. So there are not many options unless you are going to sub-off the youngster for maybe Sirigu, Cragno, or Meret? I don’t think so.
Defense: Italy probably has also one of the most experienced defense in the competition. With the likes of Bonucci and Chiellini, who have both had several appearances in the TOTY and UCL finals, they will most likely be the solid center-backs for Italy. There are a couple different options we can play around with for what the Italian defense could look like in this upcoming competition. There are players like Palmieri, Bastoni, Florenzi (but he’s old), Romagnoli, Calabria, or Mancini, that could all work with Bonucci or Chiellini to help secure Donnarmma in goal.
Midfield: This is a position that Italy perhaps could work on strengthening in the coming years. They used to have a good midfield. But that was back in the days of Pirlo and co. There are a couple youngsters who got attention here and there like Nicolo Zaniolo, Nicolo Barella, and Lorenzo Pellegrini. But there are still some decent options for the nation, with other (more) experienced players like Jorginho, Bonaventura, Marco Verratti, and maybe Grifo. But it about ends there.
Strikers: These will probably the last coming years that we will see Lorenzo Insigne and Ciro Immobile play international football, being honest. This will hurt Italy’s attack though, but they have a few other players who can hopefully fill the holes. You have older players like El Shaaraway and Caputo. And you have some others here and there like Belotti, Keane, Chiesa, and (in my opinion) the underrated Bernardeschi. This most likely will be enough for Italy in the Euros but they will like to see some new talent to help freshen up their attack.
