Euro 2020: Pessina seals top spot for Italy as beaten Wales qualify for last 16
Updated On: 21 June, 2021 10:32 AM IST | Rome | AFP
It was also an 11th consecutive win with a clean sheet for Italy who had already booked their ticket to the knockout rounds with a game to spare.
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Italy`s midfielder Matteo Pessina runs to celebrate his opening goal during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group A football match between Italy and Wales at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. Pic/AFP
Matteo Pessina scored as Italy made it three wins out of three at Euro 2020 by beating 10-man Wales 1-0 to finish top of Group A on Sunday with both teams advancing to the last 16. Pessina`s goal means Italy will play the runner-up from Group C in the next round, with Wales facing the team that comes second in Group B. Roberto Mancini, who took over the Azzurri after they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, also saw his side match an 82-year Italian record. Italy extended their unbeaten run to 30 games -- 25 wins and five draws -- a feat last achieved under two-time World Cup-winning coach Vittorio Pozzo between 1935 and 1939. "It`s nice to have equalled a legend like Pozzo. But he has more important trophies than the 30 games," said Mancini.
"It couldn`t get better than this. "We could have scored one more goal but they defended themselves the whole game, they are a physical team. Then it was hot. We did very well." Mancini added: "Anyone who gets past the first round are in contention to win." It was also an 11th consecutive win with a clean sheet for Italy who had already booked their ticket to the knockout rounds with a game to spare. Italy will play Ukraine or Austria at Wembley on June 26 for a spot in the quarter-finals. Wales, semi-finalists in 2016, suffered in a game they played a man down for most of the second half after Ethan Ampadu was sent off for a foul on Federico Bernardeschi. "It`s the feeling of winning because we`ve got second spot," said Wales coach Robert Page.
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