Italy concedes goal after 23 seconds but recovers to beat Albania 2-1 at Euro 2024
Italy's Alessandro Bastoni, center, celebrates with his teammate Lorenzo Pellegrini after scoring his side's opening goal during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — By conceding a goal after just 23 seconds, Italy made the worst possible start to its European Championship title defense.
Thankfully for the Azzurri, it soon got much better.
Italy recovered from letting in the quickest goal in the tournament’s 64-year history to beat Albania 2-1 in Dortmund on Saturday in an atmospheric Adriatic derby that immediately threatened an upset.
Italian players celebrate after Italy's Nicolo Barella scored his side's second goal during the Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Nedim Bajrami thrilled a heavily pro-Albanian crowd at Westfalenstadion by pouncing on a throw-in by Italy left back Federico Dimarco that failed to reach teammate Alessandro Bastoni, before taking a touch and smashing a rising shot inside the near post.
Within 16 minutes, the Italians were ahead as Bastoni headed in Lorenzo Pellegrini’s cross to the back post in the 11th then Nicolo Barella struck home a swerving first-time shot from the edge of the area.
Italy's Nicolo Barella, second left, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's second goal during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Barella was one of five survivors from the team that started for Italy in the penalty-shootout win over England in the 2021 European Championship final.
The pressure was on Italy’s new-look side under Luciano Spalletti to win its opener given the other teams in Group B are three-time champion Spain and Croatia, a World Cup semifinalist in 2022. Spain beat Croatia 3-0 earlier Saturday.
Bajrami’s goal gave the Azzurri a jolt and created some history — it was much quicker than the previous fastest in the tournament’s lifespan, which was 67 seconds by Russia’s Dmitri Kirichenko in 2004.
Yet they controlled the game after that, dominating possession to a backdrop of jeers and boos from a sea of Albanian red in the crowd.
Italy's Alessandro Bastoni celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
“They showed there was a gulf in class by playing good football … we played the game the right way,” Spalletti said.
“The scoreline doesn’t reflect the difference between the two teams.”
It's now just one loss in 12 matches under Spalletti, who took over last August — three months after leaving Napoli following its Italian league triumph — and was tasked with restoring national pride after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a second straight time.
Italy is clearly more at home in the European Championship these days as it goes for a record-tying third title.
Making its second appearance at a European Championship, Albania — coached by former Barcelona and Arsenal defender Sylvinho — nearly grabbed a draw in stoppage time only for Rey Manaj's deft chip to deflect just wide off the back of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy's goalkeeper and captain.
Italy's Nicolo Barella celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
“We need to play in lots of Euros and World Cups so we can get better,” Sylvinho said. "The first 25 minutes were tough but we were up against one of the favorites to win the comp.
Albania's Arlind Ajeti reacts at the end of a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. Italy won 2-1. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
“We didn’t play those first 25 minutes well but we stayed in the game.”
Euro 2024 has gotten off to a fast start.
Saturday started with Switzerland beating Hungary 3-1 in Cologne and that, after host Germany's opening-night 5-1 thrashing of Scotland on Friday, means there has been 16 goals so far — an average of four a game.
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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
Steve Douglas, The Associated Press
Albania's Nedim Bajrami celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Albania's Nedim Bajrami scores his side's opening goal during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
Albania's Nedim Bajrami, left, scores his side's opening goal in front of Italy's Alessandro Bastoni during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Italy's head coach Luciano Spalletti gives instructions during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Italy's Alessandro Bastoni, left, scores his side's opening goal during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Albania's Rey Manaj, left, and Italy's Alessandro Bastoni, right, challenge for the ball during a Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
Albania's head coach Sylvinho gestures from the touchline during the Group B match between Italy and Albania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)