Italy do not go into Tuesday's Euro
2020 semi-final against Spain as favourites, even though they
stretched their unbeaten record to 32 games and their winning
streak to 13 with Friday's 2-1 victory over Belgium in the
quarter-finals, coach Roberto Mancini said Monday.
"If Italy and Spain are here it means that both have done well,"
Mancini told a news conference.
"They got here on merit. The percentage is 50-50.
"It will certainly be a beautiful match.
"We both have talented players".
Remarking that it was "unfair" that the match will be watched by
predominantly English fans, Mancini said that he would have
liked to see a stadium equally divided between Italy and Spain
supporters.
Mancini also defended first-choice centre-forward Ciro Immobile
saying the Lazio striker had been unfairly criticised after the
Belgium match.
"Immobile is still the Golden Boot, he is one of those who has
scored the most goals in the last few years and it always
happens in a Euros or World Cup that the most criticised one is
the one that resolves a game or tournament.
"We are quite tranquil at the moment".
Immobile got the lowest ratings of the Azzurri against Belgium.
Italy are good enough to reach the final of Euro 2020 if they
keep playing like they have been recently, defender Leonardo
Bonucci said ahead of the semi-final against Spain.
"If we play like the Italy of the last 30 matches we will have
immense satisfaction tomorrow night," Bonucci said.
"We are enjoying it. "We have got this far and we want to give
everything we have to make the Italian people proud of this
national team".
He added that the Azzurri hoped to dedicate victory to Lorenzo
Spinazzola, one of Italy's stars of the tournament who is set to
be out for at least six months after injuring his Achilles
tendon against Belgium.
"Losing him was a big blow," the Juve centre back said. "After
he had surgery this morning, he was the one giving strength and
energy to us.
"We want to go all the way and we owe it to him".
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