Preview: Italy vs England
On Sunday, July 11th, Wembley will be the stage for a historic showdown as Italy and England, both unbeaten in their last six matches, vie for the UEFA Euro 2020 title, with Italy seeking their first European Championship in over five decades and England chasing their maiden triumph.
Italy
Italy secured their place in the final on Tuesday after a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Spain at Wembley. Both teams were locked in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of intense action.
Federico Chiesa gave Gli Azzurri the lead right on the hour mark with a stunning curling shot into the far-left corner. However, Spain equalized through a second-half substitute, Alvaro Morata, whose fantastic goal left Donnarumma diving the wrong way.
Before the game proceeded to penalties, Berardi saw his potential winner ruled out by the flag. In the shootout, Unai Simon saved Locatelli's penalty, but Spain couldn't capitalize, as Mikel Oyarzabal missed his attempt. Moments later, Donnarumma saved Alvaro Morata's effort, and Jorginho's calm penalty sent Italy into the final.
The Azzurri are on the brink of securing their second European Championship title, the first in 53 years, with Roberto Mancini hoping to write his name in history. The team remains unbeaten in six games across all competitions.
Federico Chiesa's impressive performance against Belgium earned him a spot in the starting line-up against Spain. He is expected to maintain his place alongside Insigne and Lazio's Immobile in Mancini's 4-3-3 attacking formation.
Despite being closely monitored by Juventus, Manuel Locatelli is likely to start from the bench, with Jorginho and Verratti as the preferred midfield choices. In terms of player availability, Roma's Leonardo Spinazzola will not feature due to an Achilles tendon rupture, an injury confirmed to keep him out for a few months as stated by Roma's new head coach, Jose Mourinho.
England
The Three Lions delivered another convincing performance at Wembley, defeating Denmark 2-1 after extra time to secure a place in the final. The Danish side took the lead with a stunning free-kick from Mikkel Damsgaard at the half-hour mark, which sailed over the wall and into the net.
However, an own goal by Danish captain Simon Kjaer provided England with an opportunity to level the score. A controversial penalty, awarded amidst a pitch invasion of sorts by an additional ball, allowed Harry Kane to score the winning goal from a rebound, despite Kasper Schmeichel's initial save.
Looking ahead to Sunday, Gareth Southgate's 4-2-3-1 formation will feature the English captain, Harry Kane, leading the attack once more. Kane is on the brink of joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick as the joint top scorers of Euro 2020.
Gareth Southgate's management has maintained harmony in a squad full of talent, ensuring competition for starting spots remains healthy. England, unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions, is likely to field the same lineup from the Denmark game when they face Italy.
The final marks the culmination of 50 matches, during which 140 goals have been scored, witnessed by a total attendance of 1,032,105 fans in the stadiums.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.