Bastian Schweinsteiger believes Italian duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci are the best centre-backs in the world right now.
The veteran pair have been rock-solid at the heart of the Azzurri defence at Euro 2020 so far, helping Italy go all the way to the semi-final after their 2-1 defeat of Belgium on Friday night.
Despite now being 36 years old, Chiellini has been his usual, dominant self, ranking second among Roberto Mancini’s squad for clearances (9) while no player at Euro 2020 has managed to dribble past him yet.
William Hill: Get 66/1 on Sterling to score at any time in Ukraine vs England | Euro 2020 offer
CLAIM HERE. 18+. Play Safe. New customers using EPS66. Mobile only. Applies to bets placed from 09:00 on 1st July 2021 until 20:00 on 3rd July 2021. Max £1 bet at 66/1. Returns paid as 6 x £11 free bets (30 day expiry). Player & currency restrictions & terms apply. BeGambleAware.
Bonucci, meanwhile, has combined substance with style, winning the second-highest number of aerial duels among Italian players at the tournament (7) while completing 33 long passes — at least 13 more than any of his teammates and the most of any outfield player at Euro 2020. His regular switches of play against Belgium were perfectly illustrative of his performance so far this summer.
Romelu Lukaku did manage to breach the Italian defence, but only from the penalty spot after Jeremy Doku went down inside the box under slight contact from Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
That means Italy are yet to concede from open play at Euro 2020, with Saša Kalajdžić’s goal for Austria in the round-of-16 coming from a corner with Bonucci away from the play and Chiellini not even on the pitch. Of the sides remaining in the tournament, only Denmark (13) have conceded fewer shots inside the box than Italy (20), though the Danes have played one game less.
“Bonucci and Chiellini are currently the best centre-backs in the world,” Schweinsteiger wrote on Twitter toward the end of Italy’s quarter-final win, using the ‘experience’ hashtag.
.@bonucci_leo19 & @chiellini are currently the best centre-backs in the world 👋🏻👋🏻 #experience #BELITA
— Bastian Schweinsteiger (@BSchweinsteiger) July 2, 2021
Following their impressive victory over the Red Devils, Italy will play Spain in the knockout rounds of the European Championships for the fourth consecutive tournament after Luis Enrique’s men beat Switzerland on penalties in their quarter-final tie.
Despite arguably being the most impressive team in the competition so far, Mancini has promised there is still more to come from his players in the semi-finals.
“The team has progressed game in, game out,” he said following the Belgium match. “Even when there have been tricky matches, the team has always got better – and there is still room for improvement.
“That’s what I saw in my squad, the desire to play well, to try to bounce back after the disappointment of not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup – it was all of those ingredients. But we can still do better.”
£50 in free bet builders when you bet £10
T&Cs apply
18+ only. Min stake £10 on Sportsbook, 11th June – 11th July, min odds 2.0. Only deposits made using Cards or ApplePay will qualify. Free bets are awarded after the qualifying bet has settled, valid for 30 days, must be used on a Football Bet Builder. Max £50 in free bets. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.
18+ only. New customers only. T&Cs apply.
Claim Here
Euro 2020: Up to £100 in bet credits
T&Cs apply
18+ only. New customers only. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.
£40 in free bets when you place your first £10 bet using bet builder
T&Cs apply
18+ only • New customers only • Min deposit £/€/$10’with promo code: GET40 • Min odds 2.0 • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns. All Customer Offer- Promotion valid 11th June – 11th July • Event & market restrictions apply • Minimum odds 2.0 • Free Bets must be claimed within 1 day and valid for 1 day • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & full T&Cs apply • BeGambleAware •
18+ only. New customers only. T&Cs apply.
Join Here
