Soccer-Spalletti expects a relaxed Italy against Swiss, as the time is now

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Euro 2024 - Group B - Croatia v Italy - Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, Germany - June 24, 2024 Italy coach Luciano Spalletti reacts REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - Italy have looked a nervous, unsure side in their last two Euro 2024 games, but now that the tournament has reached the last 16, Luciano Spalletti expects to see a more relaxed team when they play Switzerland, the manager said on Friday.

Spalletti's side were completely outplayed and dominated by Spain in the 1-0 loss and needed a last gasp equaliser against Croatia to snatch a 1-1 draw which kept the defending champions in Germany, and into Saturday's last 16 game in Berlin.

"We were really keen to qualify from the group because the draw put us in a tough group. And we saw that the players probably struggled with that," Spalletti told reporters.

"I struggled with it a little bit as well. We had to make it through the group. We've done that. And now I expect to see them a little bit more relaxed because we're immediately focusing on a knockout match.

"You can't think about permutations or considering x, y or z. In fact, the time is now because we can only make it through to the next round if we win this game."

Despite the manner in which they advanced, and their below-par performances, Spalletti feels they have earned their place in the last 16 and expects their performance to improve.

"I think the fact we made it through to the knockout stage has sorted things out," Spalletti said.

"We qualified with the last kick of the game but I think we deserved to make it through and then maybe we were lucky because the goal came in the final seconds of the game but in terms of us trying to score that goal I think we deserved to go through.

"So the fact that we're now into the heart of the competition because you've made it through the group stage it now gives you that level that you need to constantly demonstrate because there's no alternative.

"So from a psychological perspective, in terms of personality, I do expect a bit more compared with what we've shown thus far."

Italy won Euro 2020 by defeating England in the final on penalties, where keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made two saves, and the captain has a novel way of helping his team mates prepare for the possibility of another shootout.

"I've let them all score in training, so that they can build up some confidence," Donnarumma said.

"We'll need everyone, because someone might be substituted off, someone might be brought on, so everyone has taken penalties, so we'll all be ready."

Spalletti also gave some hints as to what the starting eleven is likely to be against Switzerland, where Italy will be without one of their most impressive players in Germany, the suspended defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Gianluca Mancini will come in at the back to replace Calfiori, and while Federico Di Marco is not available because of injury, he is hopeful that Alessandro Bastoni can recover from a fever to take his place alongside Mancini.

(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Pritha Sarkar)