Italy star Jorginho believes the Azzurri will need ‘intensity’ and to ‘focus on our strength’ to beat Spain but has ‘special’ memories of the latest EURO meeting with La Roja.
Italy and Spain meet at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday in the second EURO 2024 group-stage game.
Both sides won on their debut. The Azzurri beat Albania 2-1 while La Roja secured a comfortable 3-0 victory against Croatia.
“The opening game with Albania was positive,” Jorginho told VivoAzzurro.
“We played it the right way, keeping possession of the ball and being patient. It is not easy when you go a goal down in the opening stages. We kept calm and did what we had prepared.”
Italy beat Spain on penalties in the EURO 2024 semifinals, and Jorginho converted the final spot kick, sending the Azzurri to the Final.
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“I have great memories of Spain,” he said smiling.
“It was a tough match, but it ended with a special moment for me. I will remember it forever. We’ll try to prepare for this game as best we can and win this match, too.”
What will the Azzurri need to beat Spain this time?
“We’ll need high intensity,” Jorginho replied.
“Both teams will want to keep possession, and we must base our performance on our strengths, not their weaknesses. The coach wants us to play good football and move the ball.”
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Several Italian fans are visiting the Azzurri at their training base in Iserlohn, and Jorginho is impressed by the support the national team players receive.
“The affection of our fans is incredible,” he said.
“We ask them to continue like this. This affection is positive and is really helping us. We want to make anything possible to continue on this path. With everyone’s availability, we can go far.”
Jorginho is the second Italy player with the most international appearances in the current squad after Gigio Donnarumma.