Matteo Pessina has been included in Italy’s Euro 2020 squad to replace the injured Stefano Sensi, and Vijay Rahaman explains why the Atalanta midfielder deserves to play the European Championship.
The former Monza and Milan starlet had been left out of Roberto Mancini’s 26-man squad, but the CT eventually called him to replace the injured Stefano Sensi.
The Atalanta midfielder has all the attributes to contribute to Mancio’s new look and more modern team. Pessina has both the technical and tactical versatility to operate in the Azzurri’s 4-3-3 formation.
He has the vision, the passing ability and an eye for goal. He has improved defensively under Gian Piero Gasperini and can either play in the middle of the park or as an attacking midfielder. However, It has not been an easy ride to the top for the 24-year-old.
He joined Milan from Monza, but never made a single appearance for the Rossoneri. While under contract at the San Siro, he was loaned out to Lecce, Catania and Como, where he started making a name for himself.
During the 2016-2017 campaign, he netted nine goals in 35 Serie C matches and earned a call to the Italy Under-20 squad for the World Cup in South Korea. He played every game in the tournament with Italy that failed to book their place in the final, losing the semis against England. However, the Azzurrini won the bronze medal in the third-place play-off.
After the World Cup, he joined Atalanta and was loaned out first to Spezia in Serie B and then to Verona in Serie A.
At the Stadio Bentegodi, under Gasperini’s pupil Ivan Juric, Pessina proved his worth in Italy’s top flight. From his deeper midfield position, he hit the back of the net seven times and was the second top-scorer for the Gialloblu, who finished in a very respectable ninth place.
When he returned to Atalanta in 2020, he proved to be a player capable of competing on the biggest stages, including the Champions League.
After suffering a knee injury in the earliest stages of the season, Atalanta’s win at Anfield Road was a turning point for both La Dea and their midfielder.
With Papu Gomez falling out with Gasp and Josep Ilicic having personal problems, he occasionally was given the opportunity to play further up the field.
He thrived and struck twice in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final versus Napoli at home, as his team beat the Partenopei and advanced to the final.
Pessina was first called up to the senior Italy team back in November 2020 and made his debut as a substitute in a 4-0 win versus Estonia. In his latest appearance for his country, he grabbed all the headlines, scoring two goals.
Yes, it was just a friendly against San Marino, but Pessina proved to be a reliable option for Azzurri and it is no surprise he continued to train in Coverciano even after the final 26-man squad was released. When Sensi got injured, he was already in Florence ready to replace the unlucky Inter midfielder.