Neither Juventus, Inter, nor Milan, not even Naples or Roma: the engine of Italy, brilliant Wednesday against Switzerland (3-0), is in Sassuolo, where flourish Domenico Berardi, decisive passer, and Manuel Locatelli, double scorer in the evening.
The Sassuolo Connection got under way in the 26th minute with a huge cross from the left of Locatelli, from the center circle to the right wing and Berardi.
"
Mimmo
" fixed, accelerated in two stages, and centered back to find Locatelli, launched like a ball at the end of this giant one-two (1-0).
The second intervention of the two “neroverdi” friends, black and green, the colors of Sassuolo, took place at the start of the second period, to stifle one of the rare Swiss highlights. After a first exchange between the two men at the start of the action, Barella took over and served Locatelli at the entrance to the area. With a strike from the left with perfect balance, the great midfielder scored a double, his second and third goals in the selection, and put the Italians out of reach (2-0).
Locatelli and Berardi were not necessarily the most anticipated players of this Euro Italian side, but the start of the tournament is theirs, since Berardi was already involved, near or far, on the three goals of the "
Azzurri
" in opening against Turkey.
In attack, Federico Chiesa and his good first season at Juventus could, however, be the first choice.
And in the middle, Locatelli is playing because Marco Verratti is not playing, still recovering from his left ankle injury.
The Sassuolo cocoon
But the two boys are in good shape and are coming out of a new successful season at Sassuolo, this long anonymous Emilia-Romagna club which has been living a golden age for several years, carried by the fortune of the Squinzi family, owner of club and industrial group Mapei, and by coaches focusing on the game, such as Eusebio Di Francesco and Roberto De Zerbi. Atypical player, with a discreet character, Berardi found a cocoon there that he does not seem in a hurry to leave, almost 27 years old and while he has been promised the tops of Serie A for years, especially since an unforgettable quadruple against AC Milan in 2014, just a few months after his top-flight debut.
Spotted during a simple little “five” played with his big brother and a few friends, Berardi joined “
Sasol
” at 16 and never budged. Each season, he scores between 10 and 20 goals, gives his quota of assists and enthusiasm by his technical finesse, right foot as left foot. In 2018, he was joined by Locatelli, who was looking for a place to continue to grow after being carried very high, very early, after a goal scored with an extraordinary strike in the jersey of AC Milan against the great Juventus.
Locatelli was only 18 at the time and the expectations may have weighed heavily. In Sassuolo, he resumed his progression and his presence in the selection under the orders of Roberto Mancini has become obvious. And at the Euro, with his passing security, his sense of tempo and forward play and his ability to project, he replaces Verratti better than well. The ovation received from the Stadio Olimpico at its exit proves it.