Italy began their European Championship title defense with a 2-1 victory over Albania, overcoming the fastest goal in tournament history. Nedim Bajrami stunned Italy by scoring just 23 seconds into the match. However, Italy quickly equalized through Alessandro Bastoni’s header at 11 minutes, followed by Nicolo Barella’s stunning goal at 16 minutes. Despite dominating much of the game, Italy faced a tense finish as Albania pushed for an equalizer. Coach Luciano Spalletti praised the team’s performance but urged more aggression.