Italy began their Euro 2024 campaign with a hard-fought victory after a dramatic start saw Albania score the fastest goal in European Championship history.
Nedim Bajrami found the net just 23 seconds into the match, capitalising on Federico Dimarco’s misjudged throw-in with a powerful shot into the top corner. Albania’s early joy, however, was short-lived.
The defending champions quickly regrouped. In the 11th minute, Alessandro Bastoni headed in Lorenzo Pellegrini’s expertly taken short corner to equalize.
Five minutes later, Nicolo Barella fired a long-range strike to put Italy ahead. By halftime, Italy dominated possession with 72.2% and had 13 shots compared to Albania’s four.
Despite their control, Italy struggled to create clear chances in the second half. Albania, although defensively organized, lacked offensive threat. Italy’s tactical adjustments, led by Jorginho and Federico Chiesa, exploited spaces around Albania’s crowded defence.
While Italy could have increased their lead, Albanian goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha made crucial saves, notably denying Davide Frattesi and Gianluca Scamacca.
Albania’s best chance to equalize came late, but Gianluigi Donnarumma’s save on Rey Manaj secured Italy’s 2-1 win. Despite an early setback, Italy showed their resilience and tactical acumen to secure the victory.
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