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Italy were not considered among the strong contenders for the European Championship this summer before the tournament began. But after just two games into the tournament, the Azzuri have quickly caught the attention of many, thanks to their eye-catching performances.
Roberto Mancini's men began the competition on the front foot. They recorded a convincing 3-0 victory against Turkey in their opening fixture. That was followed by another 3-0 triumph over Switzerland which sealed their passage into the knockout phase of the tournament with one game to spare.
They currently sit atop the table in Group A, two points ahead of second-placed Wales, who they will face in their last group stage fixture tonight. Having become the first side to qualify for the Round of 16 and having done so in fantastic fashion, there's no denying that Italy have risen to become a strong contender for the trophy. But do they have what it takes to go all the way?
Can anyone stop Italy?
To start with, it is worth mentioning that Roberto Mancini's men are the most in-form national team in Europe at the moment. Their aforementioned two victories mean they are on an incredible unbeaten run that has lasted 29 games so far. The Azzurri have scored 31 goals without conceding and have kept clean sheets in their last 10 games across all fronts
Mancini has assembled a formidable team that many will be hoping to avoid. His players are currently firing on all cylinders with a lot of confidence and dedication.
Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne ran riot in attack in the opening fixture against Turkey, with one goal each to their names. Manuel Locattelli joined the party with a brace in their last clash with Switzerland while Immobile continued his decent form in front of goal, firing one past Yann Sommer.
With veterans like Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci holding things up at the back and the likes of Locatelli, Jorginho and Barella controlling proceedings from the centre, it is easy to see why Italy have been so good.
Italy also didn't enter the tournament with much pressure due to lack of great expectations. That, though, could change moving forward as more people start believing in them.
Despite the positive signals, it would be too early to hype Roberto Mancini's men at this stage of the tournament. They have only played two games so far. Things are bound to get much more difficult in the knockout phase.
It wouldn't be far-fetched to say the Azzurri haven't faced a real stiff test yet. Beating Turkey and Switzerland is a good way to start but they still need to replicate such performances against the big dogs such as France, Portugal, Germany, England and Belgium. If they can humble Europe's finest, once they begin proving their mettle again the big guns, there might actually be no stopping Italy.
