Although Albania went on to lose against Italy, Nedim Bajrami broke an incredible record at the Euros within the first 30 seconds of the game. The Albanian scored 23 seconds after kick off, breaking the previous record for the fastest goal scored at the tournament, held by Dmitri Kirichenko, who achieved the feat in the 2004 edition.
The number 10 beat Gianluigi Donnarumma at his near post to open the scoring and create a sensational record.
Nedim Bajrami now holds the record for the fastest goal at the Euros
1 – Nedim Bajrami's goal after 23 seconds for Albania against Italy is the fastest goal ever scored at the UEFA European Championship finals. Lightning.#EURo2024 #ITAALB pic.twitter.com/RZLXWrwpy7
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) June 15, 2024
Italy’s start to their title defence was tumultuous, with their opponents capitalising on an incredibly sloppy throw. However, they managed to turn things around within the first half itself.
Alessandro Bastoni headed the ball in following a short corner routine, before Nicolo Barella scored the second to give the Azzurri the lead in the game. From that point onwards, the defending champions never looked like slipping up.
And now, they have a mouth-watering clash against Spain for the spot at the top of the group coming up in their next game. La Roja dominated Croatia to win 3-0 in their opening game, and it’ll be very interesting to see how they fare against Italy in just a few days.
