Italy started their Euro 2024 campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over Albania, despite conceding the fastest goal in European Championship history. Nedim Bajrami gave Albania the lead just 23 seconds into the match, capitalizing on a defensive mistake by Italy.
Alessandro Bastoni equalized for Italy in the 11th minute with his first international goal in a major tournament. Nicolo Barella then scored the winning goal with a stunning strike from the edge of the area at the 16-minute mark.
Despite taking the lead, Italy struggled to extend their advantage and faced pressure from Albania throughout the game. Gianluigi Donnarumma made a crucial save in the dying moments to secure the victory for the Azzurri.
The match, held at the BVB Stadion Dortmund, saw Albania’s squad featuring ten players from the Italian Serie A, adding a layer of familiarity to the clash. Barella’s goal brought his tally for Italy to ten, surpassing the legendary Francesco Totti’s nine international goals.
Italy’s unconvincing win sets the stage for their continued title defense in the tournament, as they look to build on this initial victory.
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