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Italy produced an excellent display on Friday to knock Belgium out of Euro 2020 at the quarterfinal stage.
The Azzurri needed extra-time to see off Austria in the previous round, while Belgium qualified to this stage via a narrow 1-0 victory over defending champions Portugal.
Roberto Martinez sweated on the fitness of Kevin de Bruyne and captain Eden Hazard heading into the game. However, the Manchester City midfielder was fit enough to start, but his Real Madrid counterpart was not named in the matchday squad.
Italy manager Roberto Mancini rewarded Federico Chiesa for his game-winning display against Austria with a start. Captain Giorgio Chiellini also recovered from the injury he sustained against Switzerland to make his third start of the tournament.
Italy had the ball in the back of the net in the 13th minute through Leonardo Bonucci, but the goal was chalked off by the VAR due to an offside in the buildup.
This sprung Belgium into life, and it came as no surprise that it was Kevin de Bruyne who dictated proceedings for them. The 30-year-old forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a full-stretched save with a left-footed shot in the 22nd minute.
Four minutes later, a smart turn by De Bruyne helped Belgium launch a devastating counter-attack, and his pristine through-ball put Romelu Lukaku through.
Donnarumma was, however, on hand to thwart the Inter Milan man with another smart save.
Italy went ahead through Nicolo Barella, who dribbled his way across the Belgium defense before slotting past Thibaut Courtois with a fine finish in the 31st minute.
Their lead was doubled 13 minutes later when Lorenzo Insigne found the top corner with a trademark curler from the edge of the area.
Belgium were handed a lifeline from nothing when Giovanni Di Lorenzo had a moment of madness on the stroke of halftime. The Napoli man clumsily brought down Jeremy Doku in the area, and Romelu Lukaku promptly dispatched the resultant penalty.
The second half was full of intensity and played at a high tempo, although both sides lacked quality in the final third.
Jeremy Doku was the brightest spark for Belgium as he troubled the Italian defense with his directness and change of pace.
Romelu Lukaku wasted a golden opportunity to draw Belgium level on the hour mark when Kevin de Bruyne's excellently squared pass found him unmarked in the six-yard box.
Leonardo Spinazzola, however, produced an excellent block on the line to keep Italy ahead.
The Roma man's night was over soon after when he tweaked a muscle while attempting to charge forward. He was replaced by Emerson Palmieri for the final 10 minutes.
Belgium pushed forward in search of a winner, but Italy held on to book a semifinal date with Spain on Tuesday.
On the overall balance of play, the Azzurri were deserved winners and will now turn their attention to preparations for their marquee clash with Luis Enrique's side.
Here are five talking points from the engaging game.
#5 Belgium's golden generation once again fail to step up to the plate
The unique nature of international football means that only a handful of national teams have been blessed to have talented and successful players through multiple generations.
While club football often sees wealthy owners splash the cash and handpick a team of winners, countries have to make do with whatever they have.
Furthermore, the occasional nature of international tournaments leaves a short window of opportunity to achieve honors in national colors.
The likes of Brazil, Germany, Italy, France and Spain have witnessed multiple generations of talented players come through and make a mark. However, several other nations could only look on from afar and wonder when they would reach those heights.
Belgium are far from being considered traditional heavyweights in international football. However, a combination of several factors, including deliberate investment in youth, have reaped dividends and seen the nation produce several world-class players in the last decade.
The Benelux nation can lay claim to having the most talented squad in world football at the moment. However, a golden generation of players have consistently failed to step up to the plate.
The defeat to Italy was just the latest in a long line of tournament disappointments for Belgium. Perhaps they can get their act together in the 2022 World Cup and finally make a mark.
However, a failure to do so could put the current crop of Red Devils in the same bracket as previous "golden generations." This includes teams like England and the Netherlands, who failed to make a mark in major tournaments.
Also Read: Six greatest players who never received an international cap
#4 How will Italy cope without Leonardo Spinazzola?
Leonardo Spinazzola has been one of the breakout stars of the tournament. The Roma full-back has played a key role in helping Italy get to the semifinals.
The 28-year-old has been emphatic at both ends of the field throughout the tournament and put in another fine shift in the victory over Belgium.
However, his energetic displays came at a cost as he pulled a muscle while trying to embark on another bursting run forward.
He immediately signaled to the bench about his inability to continue and was stretchered off the field to the rapturous applause of everybody in the stadium.
There is no word yet on the severity of Spinazzola's injury, but it looks unlikely that he will be fit in time to play again at Euro 2020.
Two matches stand between Italy and a second European Championship. They will, however, have to figure out how to go all the way without arguably their standout performer so far.
Also Read: Euro 2020: 5 players who have surprised everyone with their performances
#3 Italy continue march back to the summit under Roberto Mancini's guidance
Italy have hit rock-bottom in the last few years, but this victory over Belgium has offered a chance for fans to start believing once again.
The Azzurri came into Euro 2020 without many giving them a chance. This is despite the four-time world champions being one of the most in-form teams heading into the tournament.
They were on a 27-game unbeaten run, while their perfect group stage saw them remarkably win 11 consecutive games without conceding a single goal.
Despite this impressive form, Italy still came into the clash with Belgium as underdogs, not least because of the sheer quality available to Roberto Martinez.
However, Roberto Mancini has drilled his side with the ethos of hard work associated with the great Italian teams of old.
This teamwork came to the fore against Belgium, and Italy were undeniably deserved winners in the game.
The rise back to the top has been arduous and full of obstacles, but Mancini has gone about his business with minimal fuss.
Fans of Italian football can finally start dreaming again.
Also Read: Seven European clubs to win a treble
#2 Belgium's calamitous defense cost them against Italy
Much has been made of Belgium's star-studded squad, but an often overlooked point is that their defense is not as replete with ability as other departments in the team.
Proof of this lies in the fact that a 35-year-old Thomas Vermaelen started in the center of defense for Belgium against Italy. The former Arsenal defender was a quality defender in his heydey but has become extremely injury-prone in recent years.
He currently plays his club football in Japan. This means that he is playing at levels significantly lower than what is offered in elite football - with all due respect to the J1 League.
Alongside the Vissel Kobe man were the 34-year-old Jan Vertonghen and 32-year-old Toby Alderweireld. The drop in pace was evident against Italy, whose attackers ran circles around them.
Of course, experienced defenders are still very much needed on the international scene (you only need to look at Italy's center-back pairing to understand this). However, Belgium's defenders did not cover themselves in glory with their display against the Azzurri.
Jan Vertonghen's carelessness in possession directly led to Italy's first goal. The Belgian defenders also failed to cover Insigne when he was driving towards goal.
This was basically a suicide mission knowing what the Napoli man was capable of from that range. That proved to be the case when he found the top corner with one of the best goals of the tournament.
It is unknown if Thomas Vermaelen and co. will form part of Belgium's contingent for the 2022 World Cup. Still, their schoolboy errors played a key role in their nation's elimination against Italy.
#1 Impressive Lorenzo Insigne puts up a masterclass for Italy
Lorenzo Insigne has been one of the most consistent performers in Serie A over the last few years. The Napoli skipper, however, does not get the accolades his abilities deserve owing to the relatively low profile of the Pertenopei.
It has been a different case for the 30-year-old at Euro 2020, and he gave another fine display in the victory over Belgium.
Insigne has made a name for himself as one of the best players at finding the top corner with curlers. He opened his Euro 2020 account with a trademark goal in the victory over Turkey on the opening day.
It was more of the same against Belgium as he capped his performance with a wonder goal to put his nation two goals up.
Beyond the goal, Insigne was also full of running and constantly put the Red Devils defense on the backfoot before his departure in the 79th minute.
Also Read: Seven greatest Brazilian defenders of all time
