Lorenzo Pellegrini: 'Marco Asensio centre of attention'

Italy Under-21s midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini has claimed that 'it is only natural' that Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio is "the centre of attention" at the Under-21 European Championships in Poland.

Asensio has been in excellent form for Spain Under-21s this summer, netting three times in three group matches to help his nation progress into the semi-finals of the competition, where they will meet Italy on Tuesday night.

Pellegrini has accepted that Asensio will be a threat to his team in their last-four clash, but the Sassuolo midfielder insists that Spain will also have to be wary of Italy's dangerous players.

"Asensio won the Champions League and plays for probably the best team in the world, Real Madrid," Pellegrini told UEFA.com.

"It's only natural he'd be at the centre of attention in this tournament, but we've got great players like Domenico Berardi and Federico Bernardeschi too.

"The Euros are very important for me, as facing up to strong opponents is fundamental for a young player to improve. It's always wonderful to win, but with this squad we really feel like a family."

Germany Under-21s will face England Under-21s in the competition's other semi-final.