Italy beat Wales 1-0 on the final matchday of Group A, as they sealed a flawless qualification to the knockout stages. They are also the only team in the competition to have kept clean sheets in all of their games, having done so since October. They have now won 11 games without conceding a goal, which further strengthens their claim to be one of the favourites in the knockout stages.
Matteo Pessina scored the only goal of the game, converting from a set-piece situation outside the box. The player was not even supposed to be involved but replaced Stefano Sensi shortly before the tournament began. His celebration showed the solidarity and unity within the Italian squad, as he celebrated with all the substitutes.
Ethan Ampadu was sent off in the second half, seeing a straight red for a challenge on Federico Bernardeschi. The Chelsea player was shocked at the referee’s decision, but Wales finished the game with their heads held high, never truly showing that they had a man down.
Switzerland handed Turkey their third loss of the campaign as they went crashing out, beating the Turks 3-1 thanks to a great display from Xherdan Shaqiri. Despite winning their last game, they were unable to make it to the knockout stages of the tournament, with Wales finishing second on goal difference.
Italy are one of the teams to beat in the competition now, and their performance in the group has established that. Despite Roberto Mancini making 8 changes to the squad, the players still managed to come out with the victory in the capital.
