Every match day during Euro 2016, The National's Premier League correspondent Greg Lea will break down every match and its key moments. Here is his analysis of Day 4 of the tournament.
Belgium 0-2 Italy: Tactical masterclass from Conte’s charges
The history of international tournaments has taught football fans to never write Italy off, but the levels of optimism surrounding this side were still low ahead of their meeting with Belgium on Monday evening.
Antonio Conte’s group had been called the worst generation of Italian players in history, but nobody will be writing them off after this tremendous all-round performance.
Italy performed like a club side in terms of their coherence, discipline and organisation, with every member of the starting XI fully aware of his role and responsibilities.
If Belgium, who were largely disappointing, amounted to significantly less than the sum of their individual parts, Italy’s collective was much more than the amalgamation of theirs.
Conte showed why he is widely considered the best coach in the competition, and Chelsea fans will have been thoroughly impressed by the way Italy executed their manager’s game plan.
The four-time World Cup winners are now in pole position to finish in first place in Group E, and if they play like this in their games to come Italy could go further than most expected at Euro 2016.
MORE EURO 2016
• Thomas Woods: Conte gives Chelsea fans a glimpse of the future in Italy win
• Andy Mitten's Day 3 diary: How the Evans brothers went from Belfast to France via Manchester
• Ian Hawkey reports from Toulouse: Spain show typical patience and look like they have much more in the tank
Spain 1-0 Czech Republic: Holders’ subtle stylistic shift
Recent law changes have come into effect at the European Championship, with many teams taking advantage of a new rule that dictates that kick-offs no longer have to go forward.
It was notable that, upon moving the ball backwards from the centre circle, Spain opted to hit their first pass long against Czech Republic.
Perhaps it was a spontaneous and individual decision from Gerard Pique to loft the ball forward towards Alvaro Morata, but it nonetheless seemed to signify a slight departure from the possession-obsessed Spain sides of 2010 and 2012.
While Vicente Del Bosque’s charges dominated the ball against the Czechs, they were more direct in their use of it.
Whereas in the past they have been content to pass along the backline and midfield for long periods, here they were much more willing to attempt to penetrate.
It was a sign of a subtle stylistic shift, and it will be intriguing to see if Spain continue in such a manner as the Euros go on.
Republic of Ireland 1-1 Sweden: Fair result in Paris stalemate
The Republic of Ireland deservedly took the lead through Wes Hoolahan in the opening minutes of the second half, but they probably regret taking their foot off the gas after going ahead.
Having been the better team for the opening 50 minutes, Martin O'Neill's men allowed Sweden back into the game by sinking into their own half and allowing their opponents to get crosses into the box.
They were aggressive without the ball in the first period, but Ireland stood off Sweden after the interval and eventually paid the price when Zlatan Ibrahimovic forced an own goal out of Ciaran Clark.
Perhaps it is easy to say in retrospect, but Ireland probably should have pushed for a second when they were on top.
Centre-forward problems for the favourites
Spain, France and Germany, the three pre-tournament favourites, all recorded wins in their opening matches, but that does not really tell the whole story.
While Spain were relatively untroubled at the back – they did struggle to make the breakthrough at the other end, though – the hosts and the world champions looked more than a little vulnerable defensively against Romania and Ukraine respectively.
What the trio have in common, though, is doubts about who will lead the line for them going forward.
The much-maligned Olivier Giroud was booed by France fans in their warm-up friendlies before the competition got under way, and Antoine Griezmann’s ineffectiveness on the right flank last Friday has led to calls for him to replace the Arsenal striker up front.
Germany went with Mario Gotze as a false nine in their first clash, but the Bayern Munich man was quiet and struggled to exert an influence on proceedings. Mario Gomez, much more of a traditional No 9, is now the go-to alternative following Miroslav Klose’s retirement after the 2014 World Cup.
Spain, meanwhile, opted for Alvaro Morata as their centre-forward. While the Juventus man helped to stretch the play by constantly running in behind against Czech Republic, his finishing was wayward and Spain’s goal came when Aritz Aduriz had replaced him at the top of the pitch.
It will be interesting to see which striker all three sides turn to in their second matches this week.
Player of the day
Andres Iniesta, as has so often been the case in the last eight years, was the player who made the difference for Spain. The 32-year-old was superb throughout his side’s 1-0 win, with his incisive passing and dribbling at the heart of the holders’ best attacking moves.
Goal of the day
Leonardo Bonucci loves to defend, but the Italy centre-back can play a bit too. His pinpoint pass to Emanuele Giaccheri was evidence of his exceptional distribution skills, with Italy’s No.23 calmly finishing past Thibaut Courtois after a terrific first touch.
Moment of the day
Last-ditch tackles are usually a sign of poor initial positioning, but it was difficult not to appreciate Ladislav Krejci’s near-impossible challenge on Thiago Alcantara, with the Czech Republic winger preventing a near-certain goal in the 80th minute of their defeat to Spain.
Howler of the day
Despite Italy’s superior tactical setup, Belgium still spurned a number of excellent opportunities to get back on level terms at 1-0. Divock Origi was culpable on multiple occasions, with two mistimed headers from fantastic positions ultimately costing his side.
Statistic of the day
Andres Iniesta had as many shots from outside the box in Spain-Czech Republic as he did in the entire 2015/16 La Liga season.
Thing to look forward to
The tournament’s best player, Cristiano Ronaldo, will make his first appearance in Portugal’s clash with Iceland on Tuesday.
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