EURO2020 Half time: Italy 1-0 Switzerland

The half-time whistle sounds and Italy deservedly leads at the break. An interesting first half as Italy are in a comfortable 1 – 0 lead. Below are some of the live text of the scenes of the first half…

Embolo runs down the right, taking on Acerbi, who has a fist full of Swiss shirt as he does so. It looks an certain foul, perhaps even a penalty, until we see a replay from the other side, from where it’s clear that Embolo also has a fist full of Italian shirt. So just play on, then.

Italy are, as they do these days, still attacking. “Italian cuisine-Sublime. Italian opera – brings tears to your eyes. Italian politics-so absurd it provides endless entertainment and tears at the same time. Finally their football is reaching those heights!” trills Mary Waltz.

Now Spinazzola runs into the area, takes on Schar, who isn’t remotely interested in actually challenging, and eventually tries to catch the keeper off guard with an unexpected toe-poke, which rumbles wide.

Switzerland win a corner, which is a bad idea: Italy win the header and break, Barella runs the ball 70 yards downfield before passing to Berardi, and his shot from 23 yards hits a defender.

Immobile surges into the Swiss penalty area, but takes a heavy touch and Sommer comes out to dive at his feet and palm the ball away – straight to Insigne, who tries to chip it over a crowded penalty area and in at the far post. A nice idea, but it was going wide even before Akanji headed it clear.

That’s an excellent attack, which starts with a fabulous, first-time, half-volleyed long pass out to the right from Locatelli, and Berardi skips down the wing, cuts into the penalty area, and pulls back from the byline to the edge of the six-yard box, where Locatelli is arriving at speed to tap in!