In the 44th minute, the Bayern Munich midfielder received the ball from Lucia Di Guglielmo on the edge of the box and looked at first as though she’d taken too long. Amber Tysiak closed her down, but Caruso’s smart touch to her right wrong-footed the Belgian defender and goalkeeper Lisa Lichtfus. They were helpless as her finish flew left and into the net.
It fuelled the dark horse murmurs that have been building around Italy since they surprisingly finished top of a qualifying group that included the Netherlands, Norway, and Finland. The Italians are looking to shake a miserable recent major tournament record, exiting in the group stage of Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup. With Spain and Portugal widely expected to finish top and bottom of Group B, this victory is a significant step towards qualifying as runners-up.
The individual quality and flair that gave Italy their lead, and the tactical maturity they showed, are promising signs for their tournament. There wasn’t a single talismanic player driving them on, but rather class sprinkled throughout and a clear, balanced gameplan.
Fiorentina’s Emma Severini was a constant thorn in Belgium’s right side, impressing creatively as well as closing down their attempts to progress down the wings. Experienced Juventus forward Cristiana Girelli struggled to get on the ball, but still demonstrated the odd touch of magic. Lichtfus did well to instinctively keep out her audacious back-heeled flick inside the six-yard box midway through the second half. There was plenty of depth, too — substitute forward Michela Cambiaghi had two excellent chances.
The star, though, was Caruso. As well as her stunning finish, she demonstrated physicality by successfully holding the ball up against the towering Justine Vanaevermaet in the second half, as well as shrugging off Marie Detruyer and Sari Kees on a driving central run to set up a shot for Cambiaghi. The UEFA Technical Observer Group said she was “one of the top two players in terms of ball recoveries and tackles, she dominated the midfield with and without the ball.” Her two ambitious shots from the edge of the box in the second half showed a midfielder brimming with confidence.
It wasn’t solely individual quality that carried Italy through — manager Andrea Soncin coached a mature, deserved win that balanced risk with pragmatism. Italy gambled by pressing Belgium’s wing-backs early to close down their favoured method of attack, and it paid off; neither Jill Janssens nor Laura Deloose completed any successful dribbles. Soncin wasted little time with substitutions, withdrawing Lucia Di Guglielmo eight minutes into the second half when it became clear she was at risk of a second booking.
What impressed most about Italy’s performance was that they went after a second goal with gusto. They saw out a period of Belgian pressure immediately after halftime and were not intimidated; they went on to register nine shots to Belgium’s one in the second half and came especially close to doubling their lead through Cambiaghi and Girelli. They did employ what a kind person would call game management and a cynic would call time-wasting, resulting in nine minutes of added time. However, there was no sign of the bashfulness or poor self-esteem that can undo ‘underdog’ sides at tournaments.
“It was so important to start like that,” Di Guglielmo said after the game. “We knew it would be hard and it was. But we were able to suffer and stay in the match.”
However, Italy are far from a complete package. Soncin admitted they could have been more clinical, and there were times when more intelligent positioning on the edge of the box would have opened up better attacking opportunities than the goalmouth scrambles they became entangled in.
Defensively, they looked vulnerable to transitions. In the 21st minute, Belgian Tessa Wullaert beat Elena Linari to the ball to win a goalkick and before Italy knew what was happening, Wullaert had driven deep into their half and whipped in a cross that Hannah Eurlings should have turned home. In the second half, goalkeeper Laura Giuliani was forced into some brave goalkeeping when a long ball over the top set Deloose running through on goal.
Italy were fortunate that Belgium lacked cutting edge — they took 10 shots but managed only two on target. Spain, who put five goals past Portugal on Thursday night, will not show such mercy. Even Portugal, who have been naïve defensively but have considerable pace in attack, could threaten in transition and Italy will need to shore up that element of their game to avoid being caught out.
These dark horses have a soft underbelly. Belgium didn’t strike it, but another side will. However, they’ve successfully jumped their first hurdle — and that has set them on course to progress.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Italy, Serie A, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Euros
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