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Euro 2020: Italy live La Dolce Vita with 3-0 win over Turkey
Josh McNally

Nessun Dorma from the final act of Puccini's opera Turandot has been inseparable from international football ever since it was used in the BBC's iconic coverage of the Italia 90 World Cup. However, it speaks volumes about what the COVID-19 pandemic has done to football, to Italy, to Europe that, 30 years later, when performed in the Euro 2020 opening ceremony, the final sweeping refrain didn't simply represent the beautiful game.

As performed by Andrea Bocelli in Rome's Stadio Olimpico, this spine-tingling rendition of Nessun Dorma truly captured the human victory of all of Europe after a year of nightmarish adversity, being able to come together for Euro 2020.

We don't know as of yet if the passion on display will carry throughout the tournament, but we do know that it was on full display in the opening game. Following a brief, nervy opening stretch, Italy took control of the possession and never looked back.

Under the guidance of coach Roberto Mancini – looking dapper as all get out on the sidelines in the official Giorgio Armani suit for the tournament – the Azzuri have been reborn and are looking to make up for their humiliating absence from Russia 2018.

Their fluid 4-3-3 formation is all about playing up from the back and getting the ball through the midfield as fast as possible up to wingers Lorenzo Insigne and Domenico Berardi. Insigne's curling attempt early on went wide, and the beauty of Leonardo Spinazzola slicing the field open diagonally to find Berardi repeatedly ended fruitlessly, but they were a sign of things to come.

Turkey's Merih Demiral (far L) scores own goal. /Getty

Turkey's Merih Demiral (far L) scores own goal. /Getty

By the 25th minute, even veteran centerbacks Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini were having a go. It reflected just how dominant Italy was with the ball and without it. They don't normally maintain a high line, but Turkey had collapsed so far back that it made no sense to keep the defense within range of Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal.

To be fair to Turkey, this seemed intentional. Their 4-1-4-1 seemed based around having the midfield wingers drop back to bolster defense, creating a 6-1-2-1 and leaving a spine to get the ball up to striker Burak Yilmaz.

Yilmaz, who scored 16 goals and provided five assists for club side Lille during their title-winning campaign in Ligue 1 this year, has ascended to the level of "talisman" and so was the entire focus of the Turkey attack.

Unfortunately for them, not only did this leave Yilmaz vulnerable to man marking, he's also 35-years-old- the real 35, not the Cristiano Ronaldo superhuman 35 – so far too slow to be genuinely threatening on the break.

Having dominated possession for the first half and figured out all of Turkey's tricks along the way, Italy began the second half with immense confidence – too much as seen in the wasted corner attempt that ended with Berardi being played offside. He made up for it almost immediately by making another attempt up the right, stutter stepping to fool Umut Meras and launch a promising cross that was turned into an own goal by a very anxious Merih Demiral; in the slow motion replay, you can see by the look on his face that before he hits the ground, he realizes the terrible mistake he was forced into making.

Turkey were rattled and Italy pounced. They kept bombing forwards and in the 66th minute got a real goal of their own when a shot was parried back into play by goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir. It landed at the feet of poacher Ciro Immobile and he put it exactly where it needed to be.

Once known for settling in and defending hard when a lead was established, it was a rare sight to see an Italian team build on a lead, never mind hunt for an even bigger margin. Immobile's goal was proof that this Italy has been totally revamped, confirmed when Insigne made it 3-0 a little over 10 minutes later. This is a scoreline Italy have never achieved in Europe.

Italy's Ciro Immobile celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game. /Getty

Italy's Ciro Immobile celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game. /Getty

To do it, Insigne finally landed that curving shot he'd been attempting all game. It was a beauty and laid down a marker for the rest of the team of the tournament. It said Italy were a team that could force errors, score scrappy and also display pure skill.

Turkey had entered this game as underdogs due to having the youngest squad and some of the lowest total minutes played of any team in the tournament (only Ukraine rivals them on that stat) and came out on the other side looking like they were invited to Euro 2020 to make up the numbers.

As for Italy, they were tipped to do well with their lack of stars being a weakness – there's no Baggio, Pirlo, Buffon; no names that roll of the tongue – and in only 90 minutes they showed that didn't matter. They are a team, and if they keep showing this level of passion and talent against more capable opposition, the stars will be made on the night they raise the trophy, with "Vincero! Vincero!" ringing throughout Wembley.

(Cover, L-R: Domenico Berardi, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini of Italy celebrate their 3-0 win over Turkey in the opening game of Euro 2020 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, June 11, 2021. /Reuters)

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