Euro Final | Italy vs England ~ Match Info & Preview
Match: Italy vs England
Date: July 12, 2021
Stadium: Wembley Stadium, London (England)
Competition: EURO 2020
Kickoff time: 12:30 AM IST
⛳ Italy European Championship form:
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
⛳ England European Championship form:
- W
- D
- W
- W
- W
- W
⛳Team Lineup
🏴 England XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Rice, Phillips, Shaw; Mount, Sterling; Kane.
🇮🇹 Italy XI: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson; Barella, Jorginho, Verratti; Chiesa, Immobile, Insigne
The curtain closes on this stunning summer of
this Sunday, as supporters arrive at Wembley Stadium en masse to watch Italy and England battle it out for the continental championship trophy.
Roberto Mancini's side booked their place in the showpiece after winning in a tense penalty shoot-out against Spain, while England needed 120 minutes to make Denmark 2-1 in the semi-finals.
It has been 53 years since Italy won the trophy, while the Three Lions are playing in their first major tournament final in 55 years as Gareth Southgate seeks to write his own chapter in history.
During Manchester City's famous 2012 Premier League title win, Robert Mancini was warned by Martin Tyler that he would "never see anything like this again". Win the Euros with Italy, however, and it will definitely be the second.
With a wise old head in defence, a trio of irresistible talent in midfield and a fear-inspiring attacking trident, Italy may have been a bit under the radar before the first ball kicked at Euro 2020, but continental dominance has been there for all to see since 2018 .
Failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia seems utterly incomprehensible given how Mancini's men have swept the competition clean over the last three years, but not since the days of Dino Zoff and Luigi Riva Azzurri stepping onto the pitch for the European Championship final and trumping up.
However, Italy may only have 90 minutes left to end a painful 53-year wait for the continental title, as after sweeping Turkey, Switzerland and Wales in the group stage without sending a single goal, Mancini's men did business in three grueling knockouts. meeting.
Although Austria's Sasa Kalajdzic broke Italy's unexpected defensive resistance in the last 16, Italy got through by two goals to one before dumping world number one Belgium by the same scoreline to set up a Wembley clash with Luis Enrique's Spain team in the final. big four.
A sweeping counter-attack eventually ended with Federico Chiesa finding the far corner past stranded Unai Simon before Alvaro Morata connected expertly with Dani Olmo to equalize for La Roja, but the Juventus forward would soon go from hero to zero ahead of several of his team-mates. in the Bianconeri in blue.
After Manuel Locatelli and Olmo both failed to find the net from 12 yards, Morata saw his tame effort thwarted by Gianluigi Donnarumma before Jorginho – with ice running through his veins – slipped his traditional hop, jump and penalty jump in front of a delirious group of supporters.
Despite having only 30% possession and having seven shots on goal compared to Spain, Italy and their 14 straight wins – as well as 33 games unbeaten, in which they boast an astounding +76 goal difference – get ready for the final of a major tournament. 10 they hope that a third time will be the charm after defeats at the last hurdle in 2000 and 2012.
Nine years after leading City to their first Premier League title, Mancini is now set to become the second English top-flight winning manager to lead a European nation out to a major tournament final. First? 1966 British figure Alf Ramsey. But now, there is a new, well-known name in the opponent's dugout that has captured the hearts of the nation.
The demons of 1996 have been removed, the Sweet Caroline and Three Lions chants are sung at full volume, and England are in the final of Euro 2020.
After 18 months of coronavirus chaos that has led to devastating consequences on and off the pitch, the nation will gather to watch Gareth Southgate lead his would-be history maker in the English capital ahead of their biggest game in 55 years.
Amid reports that speculated that a packed arena could be welcomed at Wembley to watch England play in a major tournament final for the first time since the turn of the millennium, Southgate – who could supposedly become Sir Gareth if his efforts were successful – is paying off. the rewards of taking on one of the most conscientious and unforgiving jobs in the international football landscape.
Fans may wonder if the Euro 2016 exit to Iceland was just a nightmare, as under Southgate's tutelage, England may not have been blown away and delighted up front, but their often impenetrable rearguard has navigated five European Championship games without conceding a goal. destination.
However, any hope of making history with a sixth clean sheet was quickly dashed against Denmark – an inspired nation applauded by neutrals – when Mikkel Damsgaard's unstoppable free-kick silenced the English contingent while the red shirts made their presence known.
Just nine minutes after conceding their first goal of the tournament, the England suspects usually pull off their old trick once again. Harry Kane – creator and goalscorer – crossed a delightful ball through young sensation Bukayo Saka, whose cross was aimed for Raheem Sterling but was deflected into the back of the net by Denmark captain Simon Kjaer.
Denmark did not let their heads hang as Kasper Schmeichel produced a performance his father would be very proud of, but with 104 minutes, Sterling controversially fell in the penalty area and Kane scored at the second attempt after seeing a surprisingly tame spot kick saved.
When Danny Makkelie's full-time whistle blew, scenes of unbridled excitement followed for England, who had previously tried and failed to reach the final in nine European Championship campaigns. However, the last two countries to host the final – Portugal in 2004 and France in 2016 – both ended up on the losing side.
Italy's staggering unbeaten run might make headlines, but England can boast at least 11 wins and one draw from their last 12 matches in all competitions, and 15 of the Three Lions' last 17 meetings at Wembley Stadium have seen them march to victory.
Only a handful of 1966 heroes are still around to watch England's harvest today try to emulate their success, but Southgate's squad – whether Sunday ended in joy or despair – will be hoping to inspire the next generation of world-beaters to take on it. football, put on their boots and follow in the footsteps of Kane et al.
As the two heavyweight European powers prepare to collide in front of fans, ex-players, and royalty, nations across the continent will surely smile back at the unbeatable tournament after one year of unparalleled hope, and one can only hope that restrictions, quarantines and behind -closed meetings will be a distant memory in Qatar 2022.
While Roberto Mancini is working with a nearly fully fit squad for the Euro 2020 final, thoughts will not be on poor Leonardo Spinazzola, who caught the eye with his performances at left-back before sustaining an Achilles tendon injury against Belgium.
The Roma man now faces a painful six-month rehabilitation period as Emerson Palmieri prepares to step into the familiar surroundings of his place, while Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci – at a combined age of 70 – will soon be protecting Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Locatelli's performances in the group stage led to reported interest from Arsenal and Juventus among others, but Marco Verratti's return to fitness has forced the Sassuolo man to take a backseat as the smooth PSG man linked up with Jorginho and Nicolo Barella in the engine room.
Ciro Immobile made headlines for all the wrong reasons with his antics against Belgium, but the Lazio man came under no pressure from Andrea Belotti as Mancini kept faith in the attacking trio of Chiesa, Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne.
The Azzurri coach already had a large selection of players available to him following their semi-final win over Spain – with the exception of Spinazzola – and an unchanged line-up had to take to the pitch despite two grueling 120-minute encounters.
England also went through 120 minutes of the game against Denmark unscathed, and as he has done all summer, Southgate will have to choose between another 4-2-3-1 setup or a three-man defense that worked really well against Germany.
The Three Lions coach has largely established his strongest XI despite his penchant for changing formations, as the only uncertainty for the back row is whether Kyle Walker moves in the middle in three or continues on the right in four.
Luke Shaw will have the tough task of keeping Chiesa calm as Harry Maguire and John Stones form a younger centre-back pair than their counterparts, while Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips will continue their midfield partnership.
Saka was once again given the nod on the right for the semi-finals and played a key role in his side's equaliser, so the Arsenal teenager should not be brought down despite pressure from the likes of Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.
Kane is chasing a piece of his personal history here, as a goal in the final would see him overtake Gary Lineker as England's most prolific goalscorer at a major tournament, while he is just three goals away from breaking into the top five of the Three Lions' all-time scoring charts.
⛳ Italy vs England Lineup Prediction:
⭕ Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson; Jorginho, Barella, Verratti; Church, Building, Insigne
⭕ England : Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Rice, Phillips; Saka, Mount, Sterling; Kane
🔺 Predicted Score Italy vs England: 1-0