Italy vs Albania Highlights, Euro 2024: Italy begins title defence with 2-1 win against Albania

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Euro 2024: Defending champion Italy opens campaign with narrow 2-1 win against Albania

Albania drew first blood after Nedim Bajrami found the net after just 22 seconds but quick goals from Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella guided Italy to a win.

The time is almost up. The Italians are recycling possession and drawing fouls from their opponents. Albania is doing everything they can. 

Asllani sends the ball into the box. It is brought down and passed to Mario Mitaj at the edge of the box. He tries to hit it with his left but it sails away from the goal and it looks like that was the last action of the match.

The referee looks at the time and blows the whistle for full-time. Italy starts its title defence on the front foot.

Four minutes of added time to be played.

Italy: Barella is replaced by Michael Folorunsho.

Asllani with a ball over the top for Rey Manaj. He takes it down on his chest and away from Calafiori. He tries to send it past the keeper but the ball hits Donnarumma on the chest and the ball goes out. What a chance for Albania.

Albania is running out of time to secure anything from this game. The Italians have retreated into their own half for the final minutes of the match.

Albania: The goalscorer Bajrami is replaced by Ernest Muci.

Hoxha gets the ball and turns away from Di Lorenzo on the left. He drives down the line but runs out of space. Throw in for Italy.

Italy: Dimarco and Scamacca are replaced by Matteo Darmian and Mateo Retegui

Aslani tries to play a ball over the top for substitute Rey Manaj. Donnarumma does well to come off his line and gather the ball.

Dimarco feels ambitious and goes for the goal from 30 yards out. It was a decent effort but and easy save for Strakosha in the end.

Albania: Broja is replaced by Rey Manaj

Italy: Chiesa and Pellegrini are replaced by Bryan Cristante and Andrea Cambiaso

Substitute Arber Hoxha is shown the card for bringing down Frattesi with an arm in the back.

Frattesi tries to find Scamacca with a through ball into the box. It is intercepted by the Albanian defence and the ball is launched to Broja out front. The Italian defence stands strong and retains possession.

Albania: Asani and Seferi are replaced by Arber Hoxha and Qazim Laci

Italy plays another corner short. This time Dimarco whips in a good-looking ball at the far post. Di Lorenzo gets on the end of it but ends up heading the ball into and Albanian player.

All of Albania’s attempts to counter are stopped by an organised Italian defence. They recover the ball and feed it to Chiesa on the right. He wins a corner for his side.

Ramadani gives away the ball to Frattesi. He tries to find Barella who was making a run into the box. The Albanian defence does well to intercept the pass.

Chiesa gets the ball on the right side. He brings the ball down with his chest and tries to turn away from Mario Mitaj. He eventually cuts into his left and tries to curl the ball into the goal. It goes wide of the left post in the end.

Italy is almost in for a third goal. Dimarco touches a loose ball through for Frattesi who made a good run into the box. He tries to toe punt the ball past the keeper but Strakosha does well block the shot. The flag goes up for offside in the end. 

Bastoni goes down after blocking the freekick with his face. The referee stops play for medical attention.

Calafiori goes into the book after bringing down Armando Broja near the penalty box. The Albanian forward is also shown the card for his part in the tussle. 

Barella tries to play a through ball over the top for Frattesi. An Albanian defender intercepts the pass and the ball falls to Scamacca who hits it on the volley. His shot strikes his own teammate and is cleared away.

Seferi wins the ball for Albania and they are enjoying a good spell of possession early in the second half.

Italy kicks off the second half shooting from left to right. Can Luciano Spalletti’s squad hold onto its lead or does Albania have a surprise up its sleeve? Stay tuned to find out.

The referee blows the whistle for half-time at the BVB Stadion Dortmund. 

Fratessi wins the ball in midfield and plays it out right to Chiesa. He crosses with his left first time. Lorenzo Pellegrini rushes into the box and gets his head on the cross but cannot keep it on target.

A minimum of three minutes of added time to play in the first half.

Jorginho brings down Seferi in Italy’s half. Freekick for Albania. The cross is headed down for Yasir Asani who tries to cut to his left and take a shot. The ball goes wide in the end.

Calafiori tries to switch play with a diagonal ball to the right for Chiesa. He overhits the ball and it goes out for a throw-in.

Pellegrini once again gets the ball at the edge of the penalty area. He heads it past the Albanian defence line and sets Scamacca through on goal. He tries to smash it past the keeper but Thomas Strakosha stands strong to push the ball away for a corner.

Pellegrini receives a great backheel pass from Scamacca in Albania’s half. He plays it out left to Dimarco who hits a low first-time cross into the middle. The Albanian defence does well to block the pass.

Italy is continuing its possession of the ball, enjoying 68 per cent of the ball in the match so far.

The Albanian defence gives away the ball to the Italians and Scamacca is played through on goal. He tries to chip the ball past the goalkeeper. Thomas Strakosha does well to swipe at the ball with his right hand, sending it into the right post.

Chiesa retrieves the ball and does extremely well to wriggle away from the defenders and put in a cross. No one in blue is there to meet the cross which goes out in the end.

The Italians are passing the ball around in midfield, trying to figure out a way to breach the Albanian defence. 

Chiesa comes down the right once again and cuts back inside to cross the ball into the middle. Lorenzo Pellegrini goes for the spectacular but does not get good contact with the ball. 

Di Lorenzo gives away the ball to Albania. Jasir Asani tries to create an opening through the right wing. Dimarco and Calafiori combines well to put pressure on the Albanian and win back possession.

Jorginho gives up Italy’s good run of possession with an unattended through ball on the left wing, intended for the goalscorer Barella.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is shown the card for bringing down an Albanian player while he was trying to break away on a counter.

Italy is enjoying a great deal of possession in Albania’s half. Chiesa tries to drive down the right wing and put in a cross. Seferi does well to track back and put the ball out for a corner.

Barella scores!! Italy has turned this match around. Dimarco tries to reach a deflected cross on the left side of the penalty box. The Albanian defence clears it away but the ball goes only as far as Nicolo Barella at the edge of the penalty box. He shows incredible technique in hitting the ball on the half-volley to give the Italians the lead.. 

Italy looks like it is moving with authority now. Spalletti’s men were trailing for only 10 minutes. 

Di Lorenzo tries to find Dimarco on the left side of the pitch with a long ball over the top, but it goes out of play.

Italy scores!! Alessandro Bastoni levels it for the defending champion. A corner is played short and a cross is whipped into the far post by Pellegrini. Bastoni rises the highest and directs the ball past keeper Thomas Strakosha.

Corner comes in for Albania. It is cleared away for another corner by Jorginho. The second corner is cleared away as well but Asllani recovers the ball and tries to cross the ball in from the left for the Albanian captain Gjimshiti. He miscues his shot which goes straight up. 

Italy is enjoying a good spell of possession. Di Lorenzo whips in a ball for Fratessi but the Albanian defence clears it away only as far as Chiesa. He drives into the box and tries to play a ball through for Jorginho. It goes out for a goal kick in the end.

Di Lorenzo is pressured and fouled by Seferi on the far side. Italy is under the pump as the Albanian fans raise their voices.

Scamacca backheels a ball that falls to Pellegrini at the edge of the box. He hits it first time but it goes just wide of the right post. 

Albania scores!!! A mistake at the back from Italy and Nedim Bajrami pounces on the ball inside the penalty box. He lashes his foot at it and the ball sails past Donnarumma.

Albania kicks off the match shooting from left to right. Italy’s title defence is underway.

The players are making their way into the BVB Stadion Dortmund. Gianluigi Donnarumma leads the defending champion while Berat Gjimshiti leads Albania. Can Italy begin its title defence on a positive note or will Albania play spoilsport in the “group of death”?

Although Italy is the Defending Champion of this edition of the Euros, its record on the international stage in the last decade hasn’t been as stellar as the Azzurri would have liked.

It failed to qualify in the last two World Cups and was knocked out of the group stage in 2014.

Italy finished third in the previous two Nations League (2021,2023), but this time, it won’t have its ace, Ciro Immobile, up-front.

New coach Luciano Spalletti has opted to sideline the veteran 34-year-old striker despite him being a pivotal player in Italy’s last three major tournaments in which it had fared so well. 

Euro 2024: Can Italy defend its title with inexperienced strikers?

Italy finished third in the previous two Nations League (2021,2023), but this time, it won’t have its ace, Ciro Immobile, up-front.

• 16 Nov 2022: Albania 1-3 Italy (International friendly)
• 09 Oct 2017: Albania 0-1 (FIFA World Cup qualifying)
• 24 Mar 2017: Italy 2-0 Albania (FIFA World Cup qualifying)
• 18 Nov 2014: Italy 1-0 Albania (International friendly)

Played: 4

Italy: 4

Albania: 0

Draws: 0

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Defending champion Italy needs to kick off its Euro 2024 campaign against Albania on Saturday in the same fashion as the last tournament, but its opponents will see this game as the perfect opportunity to make headlines. 

In 2021, Italy began the Euros with a game against Turkey, a side which many had tipped as possible tournament dark horses, but Italy romped to an emphatic 3-0 victory, and went on to top its group winning all three games.

With Spain and Croatia still to come in Group B, Italy won’t expect to have it so easy this time around, and this is the one game where it will be expected to take all three points.

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Euro 2024: Defending champion Italy looks for positive start, Albania out to cause upset

Defending champion Italy needs to kick off its Euro 2024 campaign against Albania on Saturday in the same fashion as the last tournament.

Italy predicted XI (3-4-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matteo Darmian, Alessandro Buongiorno, Alessandro Bastoni, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Bryan Cristante, Jorginho, Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi, Federico Chiesa, Gianluca Scamacca

Albania predicted XI (4-2-4): Etrit Berisha, Elseid Hysaj, Ardian Ismajli, Berat Djimsiti, Mario Mitaj, Kristjan Asllani, Ylber Ramadani, Jasir Asani, Nedim Bajrami, Taulant Seferi, Armando Broja

The Italy vs Albania Euro 2024 match will be live telecasted on the Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD in English, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD in Hindi, Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD in Tamil & Telugu and Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD in Bengali & Malayalam.

The match can also be live-streamed on the SonyLIV app and website

The Italy vs Albania Euro 2024 will kick off at 12:30 AM IST, on Sunday, June 16 at the BVB Stadion Dortmund.