After two thrilling semifinals, London will host the final, which will feature England for the first time in Uefa European Championship history. This must-see showdown between Europe's old guard is a dream match-up for all football fans around the world, as Italy is now the only team standing between the Three Lions and their first major tournament victory since the 1966 World Cup.
Check England vs Italy final match date as per Indian Standard Time here
While the last major international title for Italy was the 2006 World Cup held in Germany. Their last and only European title came way back in 1968. The Italians came close in 2012 but Spain were too good for them. That was then. They defeated Spain in the semi-final to move to the final of Euro 2020.
The Azzurri are now on a 33-match unbeaten run, with 28 wins and 5 draws. The unbeaten run includes 6 straight wins in Euro Cup 2021, the only team to do so. The last match they lost was in September 2018 against Portugal in the UEFA Nations League. That was Roberto Mancini’s second defeat after he took over as the manager.
Since the start of Euro 2020, Italy has netted 11 goals in the tournament with Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, Manuel Locatelli, Matteo Pessina, Federico Chiesa, and Nicolo Barella being the scorers. But for England, eight out of their 10 goals have been scored by Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling which can become a problem for the home side in a tight final.
England’s record in international football
For England, this final is going to be an historic event. The team and the country have waited for 55 years to reach a major international tournament final and get their hands on a second international title in history. The last final which they won was the 1966 World Cup. England were the host in 1966 and the final was played at Wembley.
Italy vs England final: Strengths and weaknesses
Italy national football team
Since Mancini took over, Italy have transformed into a team that has a pragmatic approach. The team has a resolute defence with Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci leading the charge, Jorginho and Verratti controlling the midfield, and Federico Chiesa, Lorenzo Insigne, and Immobile converting the chances efficiently. Initially, there were concerns about whether Chiellini and Bonucci will be able to stop young players with speed. Those concerns were answered in the match quarterfinal against Belgium and semi-final against Spain.
In the goal scoring department, Italy have scored 12, one less than Spain and 2 more than England. Italy have also made 108 attempts on goal which is three less than Spain and a massive 50 more than their final opponents. One player who stands out for Italy in the midfield department is Jorginho. He covered the second-highest distance in the tournament. He was also second in covering the distance with the ball in possession. Italy come third in both the number of tackles made and recovering balls back. The Italians have also kept a clean sheet in 3 matches till now.
What the Italians will be worried about is the pace of the English players. Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, and Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford have the capability to expose Italy’s aging defence. Sterling is the biggest attacking threat that England possesses. He has the second most number of sprints during the match, most successful dribbles, and is third in the tournament, behind Spain’s Pedri and Marcos Llorente, in the number of solo runs made into attacking third. And it’s not just the attack. England’s defence also looks solid with just one goal conceded in 6 games.
How England made it to the final of Euro 2020
England finished the group stage on top with two wins and a draw. In the group stage, they had scored just two goals in total. However, the number of goals score improved as they progressed. In the round of 16 match against Germany, they won 2-0, and then scored 4 goals against Ukraine in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, Denmark took the lead but England responded and won the game 2-1.
Italy’s road to final
Italy, on the other hand, started the group with a perfect record. They won all their games in the group stage. In the second round, they beat a spirited Austrian side and then gave a brilliant performance to defeat Belgium. They secured a spot in the final with a penalty-shootout win over Spain in the semi-final.
The match on Monday will surely be an epic clash between two in-form teams. While England will be eager to put their hands on the elusive continental title, the Italians would want to end their long wait for the second European Championship. At the Wembley Stadium in London, England have lost only one of their last 17 games. They won 14 out of them.
Can the Italians cause a massive upset at the lion’s den?
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