Antonio Conte gives tactical masterclass at Euro 2016 to whet Chelsea’s appetite

Incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte dished out a tactical masterclass as Italy defeated Belgium 2-0 at Euro 2016, whetting Blues fans’ appetite.

With 18 goals scored in 10 matches and no scoreless draws, Le rendez-vous Euro 2016 has thus far not disappointed. Day four of the competition probably produced the best game yet in terms of quality with Antonio Conte’s Italy dismantling tournament favorite Belgium.

Italy’s sum is greater than its parts

If the names Vieri, Baggio, Del Piero, and Totti mean anything to you, then you realize that this Italian side isn’t like the Italy of old.

With Southampton’s Graziano Pelle leading its line (a player who recorded a meager 11 goals in 30 games for Southampton last season) and without Andrea Pirlo or Marco Verratti to pull the strings in midfield and inject exquisite technical skills, the Azzurri were forecasted by many bookmakers to play second fiddle to a star-studded Belgian team, in the so-called group of death.

But instead, it was Antonio Conte’s men who asserted themselves and seemed to know, down to a man, exactly what they wanted to do when they took the field in Lyon Monday night.

It was reported that the London-bound tactician had erected panels around the team’s training ground and that he had even restricted media access to practice sessions in order to preserve an element of surprise.

And surprise he did.

From the initial kick-off, the Azzurri’s “chameleon” formation created many problems for Marc Wilmots’ team, and they only grew more confident as the game went on. It quickly became obvious that Belgium could not find answers to cope with their fluidity.

“We don’t stay rooted in one formation,” Conte said on Sunday before the game, “We play in different systems both when attacking and defending, so we have got this chameleon-like formation because we have all these tactical formations in mind.”

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At times, during their 2-0 victory over Belgium, the four-time World Champions seemed to play in no system at all, so seamless the transitions from a 3-5-2 to a 5-3-2 or 3-3-4 were.

Anchored in that solid Juventus back three, Conte was able to offset the absence of Pirlo by using their best passer, Leonardo Bonucci, to pick out some sumptuous passes. He did just that in the 32nd minute when he expertly found former Sunderland misfit Emmanuele Giaccherini for Italy’s first goal.

With the two wing-backs, Matteo Darmian and Antonio Candreva, pushing upfield when in possession and occupying the Belgian wingers, Bonucci was given way too much time while standing in the center circle to pick out the run of the diminutive midfielder.

Based on that goal alone and on the 45% of possession that Italy enjoyed, Marc Wilmots’ comments about Italy only counter-attacking and not playing real football are laughable.

As talented as Eden Hazard and company are, they simply looked ill-equipped and were outplayed by a very well-drilled and creative Italian team. Wilmots ought to focus on finding a way to inject some cohesion and passion into his squad if they are to get out of the group stages.

Besides an early long-distance shot on goal, Chelsea target Radja Nainggolan was almost a non-factor in the center of the park. The Roma midfielder, known for his tenacious and fearless tackling, played neatly when neatness could avail him nothing against an energetic and passionate Italian outfit. He found himself substituted in 62nd minute for Dries Mertens who created several chances after coming on.

Eden Hazard lacked aggression as he did so many times for the Blues last season and seemed weighed down by that bright captain’s armband. And Romelu Lukaku missed a chance to impress the man who would be responsible from bringing him back to Stamford Bridge, as his touch let him down numerous times during the match.

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Perhaps his most glaring miss was the one which sailed wide of goal in the 53rd minute when a through-ball from Kevin De Bruyne virtually put him one-on-one with Gigi Buffon. Pelle, on the other end, held the ball up expertly and linked up with Eder very well.

Chelsea fans shouldn’t be surprised if Pelle’s name gets linked with the Blues during the transfer market. A towering figure with great knock-down ability and strength, the Southampton striker was rewarded for his selflessness in stoppage time when he expertly converted a side volley to put the game out of reach.

Chelsea outlook

As a Chelsea supporter, this match was a win-win. Belgium is the team in the tournament that has the most ties to the club with two current players (Hazard and Thibaut Courtois), two former players (De Bruyne and Lukaku), and three potential signings (Lukaku, Nainggolan and Batshuayi), so in a way their loss could be a concern.

Next: Leonardo Bonucci’s value increases with fine Euro 2016 display

But the tactical masterclass put on display by Antonio Conte should put many hearts to rest. With a team considered sub-par by the Italians themselves, Chelsea’s incoming manager put on an A-grade performance filled with passion, intelligence, intensity and intent. Mr Conte, you have our attention.