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Alessandro Bastoni: Italy’s Next Great Defender

July 5, 2024
Player Analysis, Euro 2024

Alessandro Bastoni was born on April 13, 1999, in the small town of Casalmaggiore, Italy. He was introduced to the world of football from a very young age. His father played as a striker in the lower leagues and his brother aspired to become a footballer. Bastoni started his football journey at a very young age, following the footsteps of his father and brother. He started training at a local club Cannatese where he stood out. From there, he went on to join the prestigious Atalanta academy at just the age of 8.

 

Idolizing the greats of Italian defense in Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta, Bastoni tried to emulate them. In the academy, he played with good technique, positional awareness and showed versatility. Over the years he sharpened his defensive skills and stood out to be a great prospect for the future. He made his professional debut for Atalanta in a 3-0 Serie A win against Sampdoria on 30th August 2016 and went on to make 3 appearances for Atalanta in the 2016-17 Serie A season.

 

“Alessandro has always been a standout talent in our youth academy. His professionalism, combined with his natural defensive abilities, set him apart from his peers. We were confident that he would succeed at the highest level.” said Maurizio Costanzi, Head of Atalanta Youth Sector.

 

“Bastoni is a young player with immense potential. His understanding of the game and ability to read situations is exceptional for someone his age. We always knew he was destined for great things.” quoted Gian Piero Gasperini, the Atalanta manager.

 

 

His performances caught the eyes of multiple clubs and Inter Milan were the ones to sign him in the summer of 2017 for 31 million euros. They immediately loaned him back to Atalanta to gain more experience. Throughout the 2017-18 season Bastioni made only 5 appearances. Both Inter and Bastoni felt the need for him to get more game time consistently. Due to these reasons, Inter decided to loan him to Parma for the 2018-19 season.

 

“Bastoni’s loan spell with us was crucial for his development. He showed remarkable maturity and consistency in his performances. His ability to adapt to Serie A football so quickly was impressive and a testament to his quality.” said Parma manager Roberto D’Aversa after Bastoni’s loan spell at Parma.

 

He also got high praise from his teammates at Parma. His captain Alessandro Lucarelli said, “From the moment Bastoni arrived at Parma, we could see he was a special talent. His composure under pressure and his tactical intelligence were beyond his years. He has a bright future ahead of him.”

 

Bastoni made 24 appearances for Parma in the 18-19 season gaining valuable Serie A experience. His performances for Parma convinced his coaches at Inter that he was ready to be a part of their first team. He slowly established himself as a starter for Inter in the 2019-20 season.

 

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“Alessandro Bastoni has grown immensely since his time at Parma. His development has been outstanding, and he has quickly become a crucial part of our defense. His understanding of the game, positioning, and ability to play under pressure are qualities that make him a vital player for us. He has a very bright future ahead of him” said his Milan manager Antonio Conte.

 

Bastoni made 25 appearances for Inter in the 19-20 season where he managed to score two goals, complete 1254 passes, 105 long balls and 11 successful dribbles. He also created 12 chances. Defensively he won 133 duels, 47 aerial duels and completed 135 recoveries. Throughout the season Bastoni looked in control and played with maturity. He also gained valuable experience playing alongside Diego Godin, Stefan de Vrij and Milan Skriniar.

 

On November 11, 2020, Bastoni made his senior debut for the Italian national team in a friendly match against Estonia, which Italy won 4-0. His performances in the 19-20 season got him into the Italian squad for Euro 2020. He was used as squad player throughout the tournament but was under the guidance of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chieillini. The legendary center back partnership was a major reason for Italy winning the Euros.

 

“Playing alongside legends like Bonucci and Chiellini is an incredible learning experience. Their knowledge of the game and leadership on the pitch are invaluable. I try to absorb as much as I can from them every day, and it’s a privilege to be part of a defense with such experienced and talented players.” said Bastoni.

 

 

In the 2020-21 season, Bastoni played a more dominant role as a creative defender starting 33 matches for Inter producing 3 assists, completing 2029 passes, 153 long balls, 12 dribbles and creating 12 chances. Defensively he won 22 tackles,124 duels and completed 164 recoveries. His contribution was important and led to Inter Milan winning the Serie A after a 11-year drought.

 

Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte praised Bastoni’s performance and said “Alessandro Bastoni has been exceptional this season. His growth and performances have been crucial to our defensive solidity. He has shown maturity beyond his years and has become a key player for us. I am proud of his development and his role in helping us achieve this title.”

 

Bastoni has been a consistent starter for Inter since the 2020-21 season. His defensive performance has been world-class and his creative contributions have improved over the years. He usually starts in the left side of a back 3 and is calm with the ball in his feet. He uses his ball-playing ability to play long diagonal switches or direct long balls into the striker.

 

He is also given the freedom to progress into the final third from where he has the ability to retain the ball and play dangerous crosses into the box. Defensively his height and physical build make him very hard to beat in the air and ground. He’s good at tackling and has good pace to recover and make tackles in cases where he has to recover from positions higher up the pitch. In 1v1 situations, Bastoni has a high rate of success.

 

Marcus Thuram: Inter’s Sharpshooter in Attack

 

Even in cases where he’s beaten, he recovers very well. Bastoni’s skill and attributes make him a very key player in the Inter squad and his growth as a leader within the team makes him a valuable asset to keep.

 

“Bastoni is not just a solid defender; his ability to play the ball out from the back is outstanding. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and has the vision to start attacks from deep positions, which is crucial for our style of play” said Antonio Conte.

 

“Alessandro has a remarkable ability to contribute to our build-up play. His passing range and composure under pressure make him an asset when transitioning from defense to attack. He brings a level of technical quality that is rare for a defender” quoted Roberto Mancini.

 

Bastoni had good performances in the 2022-23 Champions League season where Inter made it to the finals but lost to Manchester City in a very close game. One of his finest games came against Barcelona in the group stage. Both teams started strong. In the 40th minute, Barcelona took the lead with Ousmane Dembele finishing a cheeky corner. Bastoni played a great lob from the right into Nicolo Barella who controlled the ball in the box and calmly finished it to level the score.

 

 

Lautaro Martinez displayed great skill to give Inter the lead in the 63rd minute. Robert Lewandowski finished off a bad clearance from a Barca corner to level the game again. Inter took the lead again in the 89th minute with Robin Gosens finishing a great ball from Lautaro Martnez and Lewandowski scored a header at extra time to draw the game.

 

Bastoni had a good game greeting 1 big chance, putting 45 passes into the final 3rd and playing 2 crosses and 4 long balls. He made 2 blocks, 10 clearances, 2 interceptions, 3 recoveries and won 100 percent of his ground and aerial duels.

 

Another good performance came in the 2-0 win against Benfica in the quarter final. Bastoni played with confidence, progressing the ball through the left flank. Defensively he shut down everything that came his way. In the 51st minute, he progressed the ball into the final 3rd and played a beautiful cross into the box.

 

Barella finished the move with a header to give Inter the lead. Bastoni created multiple chances through similar long balls and was vital in clearing attacks in his own box. He created 2 big chances, played 7 passes into the final third, 2 crosses and 6 long balls. He won 2 tackles, 6 duels, cleared the ball 5 times and completed 5 recoveries. 

 

Lautaro Martínez: Inter’s Argentine Talisman in Attack

 

Inter Milan won the 2023-24 Serie A season with Bastoni being a senior player and leader in the squad. He started 28 games and contributed a goal and 3 assists. He played 141 long balls, created 23 chances and played 18 successful crosses. He completed 10 dribbles, won 33 tackles, 124 duels, recovered the ball 119 times and won the ball 7 times in the final 3rd. 

 

Bastoni displayed his importance in a match against Bologna in the league. In the 37th minute of the game, he played a great cross into the back post which was headed in by Bissek to give Inter the lead. It was the only goal in the game and Inter earned all 3 points. He got 91 touches, completed 8 long balls and 9 passes into the final 3rd . He completed 2 tackles, 4 recoveries and won 7 duels.  

 

With experienced defenders like Bonucci and Chiellini retiring from international football, Bastoni has been tasked with leading the Azzurri’s defense. In his first match in the Euros, Italy faced Albania. Albania went 1-0 up with Nedim Bajrami scoring the fastest goal in the history of the competition. The lead didn’t stand for long. Italy took a short corner and Lorenzo Pellegrini put a cross into the back post.

 

 

Bastoni scored the first goal for Italy in the campaign and leveled the scores, quickly erasing Albania’s advantage. In the 16th minute, the ball fell to Barella in the edge of the box and he finished it first time into the right corner. Italy won the game 2-1 and their defense apart from the first goal had a very good display, but they were condemned to a 1-0 defeat to Spain in their following match. Italy would narrowly seal their ticket to the knockout round after Mattia Zaccagni equalized in the final second against Croatia, but they would come apart in the Round of 16 as Switzerland pulled off a 2-0 victory.

 

“Bastoni is a remarkable talent with exceptional vision and composure. His ability to read the game and execute precise passes from the back makes him an invaluable asset to our squad. His leadership and maturity on the field are beyond his years, and he has a very bright future ahead of him,” – Luciano Spalletti, Italy national team coach.

 

At 25 years of age, Alessandro Bastoni has already established himself as a key player for Inter and Italy, winning two Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia titles, three Supercoppa Italiana titles, and a European Championship. The sky is the limit for Inter’s ball-playing center back.

 

By: @TSpec1al

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Claudio Villa / Inter

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