Euro 2024: Italy concede record early goal but bounce back to beat Albania in opening game
- Holders suffered worst-possible start but first-half recovery ensured they started their bid to retain their crown with victory
Italy made the worst possible start to their European Championship title defence by conceding after just 23 seconds against Albania but stormed back to take the victory.
The Azzurri recovered from letting in the quickest goal in the tournament’s 64-year history to win 2-1 in Dortmund in an atmospheric Adriatic derby that immediately threatened an upset.
Nedim Bajrami thrilled a heavily pro-Albanian crowd at Westfalenstadion by pouncing on a throw-in by Italy left back Federico Dimarco that failed to reach teammate Alessandro Bastoni, before taking a touch and smashing a rising shot inside the near post.
Within 16 minutes, however, the Italians were ahead as Bastoni headed in Lorenzo Pellegrini’s cross to the back post in the 11th then Nicolo Barella struck home a swerving first-time shot from the edge of the area.
The Inter Milan midfielder was one of five survivors from the team that started for Italy in the penalty-shoot-out win over England in the 2020 European Championship final.
The pressure was on Italy’s new-look side under Luciano Spalletti to win their opener given the other teams in Group B are three-time champion Spain and Croatia, a World Cup semi-finalist in 2022.
