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Italy became the first side at Euro 2020 to book their place in the last-16 after cruising to a 3-0 win over Switzerland in Rome.
A brace from Manuel Locatelli before a superb goal from Ciro Immobile sealed all three points for the Azzurri once again. They will face the runners-up of Group C in the next round if they avoid defeat in the last match.
Roberto Mancini's side were dealt an early blow when skipper Giorgio Chiellini went off with a hamstring problem. But all fears were allayed just minutes later when Locatelli tapped home a cross from Domenico Berardi just before the half-hour mark.
The home side resumed the match after the break in similarly dominant fashion and found themselves two for good. The Sassuolo talisman popped up with another strike, a brilliant effort from distance.
The Swiss, who had failed to beat Italy's stoic defense until then, came really close a few times. But some last-ditch tackles and near-misses kept them from clawing their way back into the match.
Ciro Immobile then made sure all their hopes of a late comeback were quashed with a fantastic long-range volley in the penultimate minute of normal time to put the match beyond doubt.
Italy will play their final group fixture against Wales on Sunday while Switzerland face a must-win clash against Turkey on the same day. Here are the major talking points from the Rome encounter:
#1 Manuel Locatelli stars for Italy
Of all the star players starting for Italy tonight, Manuel Locatelli stole the show with his unexpected double. His goals helped the hosts secure another victory and qualify for the last-16 too. The youngster, who had scored just once for the Azzurri before in 11 games, demonstrated his deadly finishing abilities.
Locatelli broke the deadlock with a simple tap-in after some good work down the flanks by Domenico Berardi. He sneakily ran in behind the Swiss defense and smashed his club-mate's cross from close range. He rounded off his brace with a spectacular effort from about 25-yards out in the second-half.
Manuel Locatelli, remember the name!
#2 Giorgio Chiellini went off injured
Albeit nothing serious, Giorgio Chiellini was subbed just 24 minutes into the match after he pulled a hamstring. It was undoubtedly a big loss for the Azzurri, though his replacement Francesco Acerbi cemented the void with elan. Chiellini will now be examined ahead of their final group fixture against Wales on Saturday.
After tonight's victory, Italy have already qualified for the last-16 as group winners. Roberto Mancini's side are mathematically unassailable for the other three sides. So Chiellini's services won't be needed for their last pre-knockout match and might as well be rested.
#3 Switzerland's half-time substitution worked - but not too successfully
Switzerland head coach Vladimir Petkovic once again went ahead with the strike duo of Breel Embolo and Haris Seferovic. While the former asked questions of Italy's defense with his purposeful runs, his Benfica counterpart was rather silent, cutting an anonymous figure and making just 13 touches on the ball in the first-half.
This prompted the manager to replace him with Mario Gavranovic for the second-half and the gamble almost paid off. The 31-year old was very proactive, dropping back to regain possession and linking up with other Swiss players to try and open up Italy's defense. However, they couldn't conjure many clear-cut chances to score and only had to settle for a few near misses.
#4 What is Chiesa's role in this Euros?
When the first line-up of Euro 2020 was announced, the question on everyone's lips was, where is Federico Chiesa? The Juventus star, who's coming off the back of a fine individual campaign in Serie A, was subbed on for the last couple of minutes and made a good impression.
However, it didn't translate into a starting berth for tonight's game either, as the winger came on for Insigne in the 69th minute and played just off Immobile as Italy switched to a mid-block 5-3-2. Although he looked dangerous, Chiesa squandered a good chance to score by dragging his shot wide in the 75th minute.
That Italy have managed to produce such emphatic results even without him speaks volumes about their quality. It didn't bode well for Chiesa, who was supposed to be a key player in Mancini's team but instead had to contend with substitute appearances. Perhaps more of his services will be needed in crucial knockout games.
#5 Beware everybody, Italy are back with a bang
This wasn't even vintage Italy. Their performance was a slight drop-off from the opening game against Turkey. Yet the Azzurri cruised past a talented Swiss team without breaking a sweat, an ominous message to all the sides participating in the Euros that shouldn't be ignored.
Roberto Mancini has worked his magic with this side, exuding shades of their 2016 selves as they romped to the quarter-finals in the French showpiece. Even when their attacking game looked suspect, the hosts of the night utilized space down the wings to carve Switzerland open. They defended resolutely against Rossocrociati's counter-attacks and spells of attacking pressure.
Italy have successfully rebuilt from the heartbreak of failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and now scored 31 goals in all competitions without conceding. Don't sleep on them.
