Euro 2020 Final: Italy vs England preview

 

Italy and England will face off in the showpiece final of the Euro 2020 tournament at Wembley on Sunday. Both sides have been the two strongest in the competition so far and have deservedly made it to the final.

Italy defeated Spain on penalties, while England needed extra time to see of Denmark. Both sides are strong at the back, but are also capable of producing magic at the other end of the pitch.

This is Italy’s 10^th final at a major tournament, with only Germany being involved in more finals. Italy will be vying their first Euro trophy since their only triumph back in 1968.

On the other hand, England will be featuring in their first every Euro final. Their only other final at a major tournament was when they won the World Cup in 1966.

Both teams have their own extra source of motivation as they haven’t won a lot of trophies recently. Italy were the dark horses among the traditional top 7 footballing nations of Europe and they have lived up to that tag. England were considered as one of the top 4 or top 5 favourites to win the tournament and they have done very well.

Italy missed the services of the injured Leonardo Spinazzola in the semi-final. Their attacking threat clearly suffered due to his absence. England have the advantage of being able to pick from a fully fit squad. They setup in a back 5 against Germany and it worked, which could indicate that it will be done again in the final.

Jordan Henderson wasn’t fully fit at the start of the tournament but as the tournament has progressed, he has made vital contributions off the bench which could justify his selection in the final. Italy will most likely remain unchanged as Federico Chiesa has been vital since replacing Domenico Berardi in the line-up.

Both these sides were not very dominant in the semi-finals but have been the two best teams overall. It is hard to call a winner in this game, but it will be a fascinating watch for sure.