Italy’s coach, Roberto Mancini, has called on his team to play with the same intensity as they did against England in the second half when they face Malta in today’s Euro 2024 fixture. After suffering a defeat in their opening game against England, Mancini has urged his players to be more precise in front of goal and less inattentive in certain situations.

Mancini has also defended his team against criticism following their loss, stating that “evaluations on the spot are never too right because you only look at the result”. Despite Jorginho and Verratti being among the most criticized players after the England game, Mancini has not yet decided whether they will play from the start against Malta. He has emphasized the need to make changes and assess player recovery due to the tight match schedule.