As the ball dropped rather innocuously just inside Italy’s half amid an Antonio Conte-esque build-up routine, the ‘weaker’ left foot of the Azzurri’s number five immediately transformed a seemingly secure situation for Switzerland into a dangerous one for Roberto Mancini’s side.
Manuel Locatelli‘s left-footed switch out to Domenico Berardi was instinctive and technically brilliant, one well worthy of admiring from a stationary position. But Locatelli was immediately on the move.
Once the swashbuckling switch was received by the welcoming chest of Berardi, Locatelli began his quest for the Switzerland box. As club teammate Berardi stood up Rodrigo Rodriguez one-v-one, Locatelli was yet to arrive but after the winger had outwitted the Swiss wing-back, he was beyond Remo Freuler and in a prime position to pounce.
And pounce he most certainly did. Berardi’s drilled cross was perfect, leaving Locatelli with no option but to tap home from two yards. 1-0 Italy.
That sequence alone was worthy of inflating the midfielder’s value by €5m, but it was an atypical Locatelli phase of play. While a superb long-range passer off both feet, the Italian’s not the type to burst into the box like a prime Frank Lampard.
However, he was able to replicate a moment that we’ve seen plenty of throughout his senior career just after half-time as Italy doubled their lead.
Locatelli has Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s industry, Ciro Immobile’s movement, and Nicolo Barella’s simplicity to thanks for making such a moment possible. The Italian received Barella’s pass 20 yards from goal and, with the Swiss defence occupied by Immobile’s selfless dart in behind, was gifted the optimal opportunity to strike from distance. He did, with his left-footed effort – via a slight deflection – beating a motionless Yann Sommer. Cue a social media frenzy.
Twitter accounts retweeting their own takes on Locatelli from yesteryear flooded my timeline as such people sought validation of their football knowledge and ‘Talent ID’.
Locatelli’s stock had never been higher.
Roberto Mancini’s exhibition
Italy’s eventual 3-0 thumping of the Swiss will long be remembered in Italian quarters as ‘The Manuel Locatelli Game’, but the midfielder’s individual magic shouldn’t undermine or overshadow what was another stellar collective effort.
Mancini unsurprisingly opted for just one change to the starting XI that beat Turkey, with Di Lorenzo replacing the injured Alessandro Florenzi, as Switzerland set about frustrating the Azzurri by deploying a fairly deep 5-2-3 block while looking to transition through Breel Embolo.
On paper, they appeared a sterner test than tepid Turkey, but Italy were able to manipulate the Swiss block with consummate ease. The Azzurri were able to progress through Switzerland’s lines at will as Vladimir Petković’s tame press proved no match for a side whose automated build-up is so efficient that Conte would be appreciative.
Once Switzerland’s ‘press’ was bypassed, Italy sought to overload Granit Xhaka and Freuler in midfield via Barella and Locatelli – utilised as a pair of ‘free eights’ on Wednesday – advancing to take up positions between the lines alongside Lorenzo Insigne and Berardi, who drifted in from wide areas. It was a zone Italy dominated throughout and thanks to their supreme technical quality, they simply overwhelmed the Swiss.
However, this was just one ploy Italy utilised to outmanoeuvre their opponents. Throughout the contest, we saw Italy overload and combine wonderfully in wide areas, seek to penetrate the half-spaces, and look to pick out Immobile – whose selfless performance was rewarded with a goal – in behind. There’s a wonderful variety to their possession play, while the meticulous Mancini comes to the fore regarding their out-of-possession structure.
Switzerland deployed a fairly interesting shape in the build-up, with a back four being created via Granit Xhaka’s movement into the backline and the two exterior centre-backs, Nico Elvedi and Manuel Akanji, moving out the flanks to function as auxiliary full-backs. Their wing-backs were stationed higher upfield. This meant that, on paper, the Swiss had created a four-vs-three overload against Italy’s first pressing line but as a result of a superbly-drilled man-oriented press, Italy were able to stifle Switzerland in the first phase. Kudos to Mancini.
And as a result of a fierce counter-press, the Azzurri limited the Swiss’ moments in transition while simultaneously sustaining attacks of their own. Settled press? Check. Counter-press? Check.
Italy are a formidable unit in all phases of play thanks to their brilliant coach.
Back to the star
Okay, that’s enough of Mancini’s excellence, let’s return to the man of the moment to wrap things up.
As James Horncastle titled his recent piece for The Athletic, ‘The world is now Manuel Locatelli’s oyster’. While his talent was obvious to even the most casual of Serie A watchers, his performance against the Swiss had a global audience salivating. Locatelli’s two goals were mere cherries on top of the Zuppa Inglese. The awe-inspiring cruscendi in Ludovico Einaudi’s ‘Experience’.
His all-encompassing display was drizzled with class, elegance and technical brilliance. Although, the brace – especially the nature of it – may delude people, particularly those who were tweeting ‘Locatelli is needed at my club!’, into thinking that the midfielder is of the goalscoring, box-to-box ilk. He’s not, reflected by his eight goals in 144 Serie appearances.
I dive into his graceful, deep-lying profile here.
Locatelli’s masterpiece in Rome would’ve surely stimulated the universal interest of Europe’s elite. Juventus are said to be the front-runners for his signature, but as a result of Locatelli’s ever-rising stock and the destined competition increase, the club will likely have to stump up more than Sassuolo’s initial valuation of €40m.
That was the risk the club took when they failed to move quickly this summer. What were they waiting for?