Italy-Macedonia, five things to do and five to avoid. Luigi Garlando’s analysis

Having landed at the “Falcone e Borsellino” airport, the Nazionale, by bus, passed through the Capaci junction. A look to the right, at the white house on the hill from where the mafioso Giovanni Brusca, known as “U Verru”, the Pig, pressed the button of the detonator. On the left, the sea, the last beautiful thing Giovanni Falcone saw on that damned 23 May 1992, before the asphalt went crazy and the guardrails crumpled. Palermo is preparing to honor the 30th anniversary of the massacre that took away the magistrate, his wife Francesca and the escort agents. Falcone would have been at the stadium this evening, because he loved sport, he had practiced rowing, and recommended it to the boys as a training ground for legality. There will be many young people at Barbera, because the little ones do not yet know what the thrill of a World Cup with Italy is and they do not want to wait until 2026 to find out. See others playing? We have already given, thank you. An Apocalypse is enough and advances. In that 1992 Mancini and Vialli mourned a lost Champions Cup final at Wembley. They went back in July and wiped those tears away by crying more of winners. Now they want to go to the World Cup together that they have never won as players. We all want to go there. Tonight against Macedonia the first step, in a stadium full of passion that tightens in cohort around a national team still wrinkled by the wrong penalties and unexpected playoffs. Emotionally delicate game. How to behave? We chisel the tablets of the law: 5 things not to do and 5 to do.

The first

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Taking the field thinking about Portugal already, assuming that Macedonia will beat them. Ventura of Sweden thought so too. Instead of noticing that Pandev is gone and Elmas is missing, it is better to remember that a year ago (March 31) the Macedonians beat Germany in their home. Humility. In the first match of the European Championship, we took the field concentrated, Calhanoglu’s Turkey seemed to us Pele’s Brazil. For this we have beaten him clearly.

The second

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Avoid the heat. Get anxious to do everything right away. We have seduced Europe with our dribble, we continue to pass from Verratti and Jorginho without hysterical pitches to the tips. With patience. The first goal for Turkey came after almost an hour of play. Calm and chalk.

The third

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Put wax in your ears like Ulysses’ sailors so as not to get carried away by an enthusiastic cheer, with the risk of losing your balance and losing tactical order. The Barbera will be 100% sold out, over 30 thousand souls. The last time Italy played in a sold out stadium was right here in Palermo, November 2019: 9-1 against Armenia. It won’t be that easy. One of the secrets of the European Championship was precisely the balance always maintained (cover, preventive …) by a team that attacked without discovering itself.

The fourth

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It’s not a hero night at all costs, but it must be a team night. Few individualisms and a lot of tactical and ethical empathy. It is the team spirit that made us kings.

The fifth

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Donnarumma has already had his problems with the ball in his feet. Benzema is not Macedonian, but we avoid unnecessary risks in the low construction, also because, apart from Gigio, the defense is totally new and therefore not used to dribbling in the department. Which doesn’t mean not to. Insigne’s goal against Belgium, which flowed from Gigio’s gloves, is our calling card. But without exaggerated risks and without shame, if a danger is to be wiped out.

The first

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Concentration on the ball, from the first second, so as not to find yourself chasing after with breathlessness. There will be no Bonucci who recaptured England in the final and not even Chiellini who took Saka for the coppino. Without the two Lions everyone will have to put a little more personality into it. Starting with the two substitutes: Mancini and Bastoni. The Romanist has long been in a run-off with Acerbi. Another derby. It was the real doubt on the eve of the blue coach. In the end Mancini won, also because the more experienced Acerbi could be useful in the second match, more delicate, probably in Portugal, in the not-so-distant case that Bonucci was unable to recover.

The second

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An aggressive start in order not to allow Macedonia to play and feel strong beyond their modesty, as in Germany.

The third

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This national team was born with a strong left side: Spinazzola’s drive, the creative triangle Jorginho, Verratti, Insigne. But now, without Spinazzola, the fittest player is on the right: Berardi. It will be important to urge him, to keep his talent warm to prevent him from becoming sad on the sidelines of the match. He can be the key man, as he was at the debut of the European Championship triggering Demiral’s own goal.

The fourth

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Involving a lot of Immobile, as Lazio involves him with throws, banks and crosses, because Ciro in Italy has never felt at ease as in Lazio. He has 6 blue games behind him without a goal and comes from a disheartening derby. However, be careful. Immobile scored 2 braces in the national team: one against Macedonia and one in Palermo, against Armenia. The Macedonia-Palermo conjunction could produce the good shock.

The fifth

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Fifth law: patience, because we have a rich plan B on the bench, from the explosive run of Zaniolo, to the physicality of Scamacca, to the technique of Pellegrini, Joao Pedro, Raspadori. It’s time. Play. Let’s join together in cohort. Italy called.