Argentina marks the revival of the Cup of Champions in style as they pass Italy 3-0 in a heavyweight clash considered “Finalissima“at a noisy Wembley Stadium on Wednesday.
Goals in the first half of Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria put the South American champions in complete control against an Italian side that returned to Wembley 11 months after being beaten. England to win the delayed Euro 2020 championship.
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With thousands of their supporters in the crowd of 87,000 determined to turn northwest London into Buenos Aires overnight, an Argentinian side included Lionel Messi simply too fast and smooth for sluggishness Azzurri.
Messi said after the game. “We can compete with anyone. Today it was a good test because Italy is a great team.”
Martinez shot from close range in the 28th minute after Messi’s low pass to reward Argentina’s early dominance.
“This is priceless. We’re incredibly happy with how things are going, our play, and what this team is all about,” Martinez said. “It’s still a few months before the World Cup and we know we need to fix some things.”
Inter Milan’s Martinez then passed the ball to Di Maria to double the lead with a shot that sank in the first half that made the South American fans extremely happy.
Argentina can score more goals after the break with Messi pulling the strings and the Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma save his party a drunken spree.
Replace Paulo Dybala emphasized Argentina’s superiority with a sunk finish in stoppage time.
It was a disappointing end for the solid Italian defender Giorgio ChielliniThe 37-year-old’s international career was substituted at half-time on his 117th and final appearance.
The Finalissima is the revival of the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions which has only been held twice before, in 1985 and 1993.
Messi, who shone in the evening with a signature series of dribbles, was pulled into the air by his teammates, who danced happily across the lush Wembley pitch.
Argentina, who ended their 28-year wait for a title by beating Brazil winning the 2021 Copa America, made a fine display for their hopes at this year’s Qatar World Cup, extending their unbeaten streak to 32 games.
“Things have changed since we won the Copa America,” said Di Maria. “We got off that weight and now we’re enjoying the game, having a good time and things are much easier for us. We’re enthusiastic, but we have to always keep your feet on the ground.”
For Italy, it’s a sobering reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in football.
Last July, Roberto Mancini’s side were in high spirits after winning a penalty shootout over England to win the European Championship, but have since endured the humiliation of not being able to qualify. World Cup for the second time in a row after losing a play-off against North Macedonia.
In the build, Mancini described the match as “the end of a cycle” and the defeat left him in no doubt how much work was needed to revive Italy’s fortunes.
“They played better than us. We came in in the first half but couldn’t turn the situation around after the break,” Mancini said.
