Italy 2-1 Albania – Player Ratings and Match Report
Italy survived an early scare to come from behind and win against Albania in their opening EURO 2024 match. The reigning champions sealed a 2-1 win at the Signal Iduna Park.
Albania stunned Italy by taking the lead after just 22 seconds. Nedim Bajrami made the most of a poor throw from Federico Dimarco to give the away side an early lead.
The defending champions were not behind for long, as a smart corner routine saw them get level just 10 minutes later. Alessandro Bastoni was unmarked at the far post, and he headed home Italy’s first goal of EURO 2024.
Nicolas Barella turned the tie around just five minutes later with a sensational strike from just outside the box. The Inter Milan star’s shot left Thomas Strakosha flat-footed, and it was 2-1 to Italy.
The scoreline remained the same for the rest of the match, with both sides coming close to getting another goal but failing to convert.
Italy vs Albania Player Ratings after EURO 2024 clash:
| Italy Player Ratings | Albania Player Ratings |
|---|---|
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | Thomas Strakosha |
| Giovanni Di Lorenzo | Elseid Hysaj |
| Alessandro Bastoni | Arlind Ajeti |
| Riccardo Calafiori | Berat Djimsiti |
| Federico Dimarco | Mario Mitaj |
| Davide Frattesi | Ylber Ramadani 21 |
| Jorginho | Kristjan Asllani |
| Nicolò Barella | Jasir Asani |
| Federico Chiesa | Nedim Bajrami |
| Gianluca Scamacca | Taulant Seferi |
| Lorenzo Pellegrini | Armando Broja |
| Andrea Cambiaso | Qazim Laci |
| Bryan Cristante | Arber Hoxha |
| Matteo Darmian | Rey Manaj |
| Mateo Retegui | Ernest Muçi |
| Michael Folorunsho |