It took the introduction of Brazilian-born Sampdoria forward Eder Citadin Martins to spare Italy’s blushes in their Group H match with Bulgaria. Eder smashed in an equaliser to even the score at 2-2 after the Italians had been punished for a drab performance during the first half.

A sluggish Italy failed to sparkle against a daring and determined Bulgaria during most of a frenetic match in Sofia. The Italians found themselves stunned when they went in at the break down 2-1 despite taking the lead inside the game’s opening five minutes.

Stout defending is usually a given for Italy’s national team, but it deserted them here. Manager Antonio Conte‘s players were in chaos at the back.

Playmaker Ivelin Popov caused havoc to equalise before calamitous stuff from Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci contributed to a second, this one from striker Iliyan Mitsanski.

Forza Italian Football detailed the mess in the box prior to Mitsanski‘s decisive header:

The unusually generous defending left Italy in an unfamiliar position at the break, per Opta Paolo:

A lack of efficiency in the final third was at the root of Italy’s woes. Borussia Dortmund forward Ciro Immobile was typically wasteful.

His spurned chances rendered Italian dominance of possession largely meaningless:

Italy continued to work the ball patiently after the break, with midfield general Marco Verratti at the heart of things. But their approach play was still missing a flourish.

That was soon provided with Eder‘s introduction. He wasted little time making a key contribution:

The Italians then continued to boss possession. Verratti and company were helped by Bulgaria sitting a little too deep.

Their one-goal advantage at the half had brought the cautious side out of the hosts, and that gave the Azzurri the initiative. Italy even found themselves unfortunate not to snatch a winner via several excellent chances late on.

 

Selected Player Ratings

Eder: B+

The 28-year-old was a controversial inclusion in the national team. Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini was blunt in his disapproval, per The Independent’s Pete Jenson: “If you play for Italy, you should be Italian.”

But the striker rose above the debate and showed the pressure wouldn’t get to him. His finish was emphatic, and he remained a consistent menace to the Bulgarian defence.

Italy played with more purpose, verve and pace in the attacking third once the Sampdoria star entered the fray.

 

Ivelin Popov: B+

Popov was central to everything the home team did going forward. His movement was intelligent, always creating an extra yard of space and another second on the ball in crowded areas.

His goal was first rate, but so was his classy distribution. The Kuban Krasnodar ace was never wowed by his more illustrious opponents and delivered a quality performance.

 

Leonardo Bonucci: F

It was odd to see such a normally reliable presence appear as shaky as Bonucci did in Sofia. He’s usually a steady defender, particularly comfortable on the ball, but Bonucci never settled as crosses flew past him and midfield runners left him chasing shadows.

He failed to close down Popov, or even stand up to his rasping shot, for Bulgaria’s first goal. The less said about his attempts to cut out the service for the second goal, the better.

Bonucci will rarely have endured this dire a performance in a high-profile game.

 

Marco Verratti: A-

He received little help from those in front of him, but Verratti‘s determined attempts to create chances were worthy of applause. He used the ball well, constantly recycling possession and looking to play between the lines.

WhoScored.com detailed the Paris Saint-Germain schemer’s industry and skill:

Verratti needed better runs from the members of Italy’s forward line. Sadly, Immobile and others were rarely on his wavelength.

Yet despite the lack of support, Verratti kept Conte‘s team moving forward and made sure Bulgaria spent most of the second half on the back foot.

 

Post-Match Reaction

This mediocre result caps a tough few days for Conte. The former Juve boss was astonishingly subjected to death threats following an injury sustained by midfield workhorse Claudio Marchisio during a training session, per BBC Sport.

The result leaves Conte‘s men still trailing Croatia in the group standings. The latter gave their goal difference a huge boost after they dismantled Norway 5-1, per Sky Sports.

Conte needs more from both his forward players and senior figures at the back if Italy are going to turn things around.

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