Euro 2020 Final Preview, England Vs Italy: The Proof Battle

Lorenzo Insigne (left) and England striker Harry Kane. Who will be the champion? (Intermediate photo)

JAKARTA – The Italian national team and the England national team have traveled a long way at this Euro 2020. The two teams have different styles of play, but have similarities on the way to the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium. Monday, July 12 in the morning at 02.00 WIB is the time that the two teams and their supporters have been waiting for. This is a place to prove who deserves to be number one and bring home the championship trophy.

Both England and Italy entered the Euro 2020 finals from the lowest point of their football history which both left fans disappointed. For England, the lowest point is being knocked out of the last 16 of Euro 2016 by Iceland, whose profile is below the Three Lions, while Italy's lowest point is even lower after only being able to watch the World Cup finals in Russia three years ago.

The FA initially did not choose Gareth Southgate to reform England because they chose Sam Allardyce. But bad comments about the FA caught on hidden media cameras, made Allardyce fired. And so Southgate the Under-21 coach became the Three Lions coach.

Southgate immediately took advantage of the talented young generation from the Under-21 team and the youth academies of Premier League clubs. But the most important decision is to change the culture within the national team. This was reported by Antara.

He didn't hesitate to call the players he wanted which didn't happen in the past. Southgate also maintains a good relationship with the media. His tone of communication is liked by many because it commands positivity and realism.

As a result, England reached the last four of the 2018 World Cup and then, together with their young squad, qualified for the Euro 2020 finals, with optimism.

But for the players who felt the bitterness of failing in the previous tournament, the trauma of course still lingers. "If I think of the last Euro when we knocked out Iceland, it still haunts me," said right-back Kyle Walker. "But now we are much more mature."

Roberto Mancini also departed from the gloom after Italy failed to reach the World Cup finals in Russia as Gian Piero Ventura's side lost to Sweden in the playoffs.

Like Southgate, Mancini turned his attention to young players. But his biggest influence on the Azzurri was a much more attractive playing style.

Italy installed a 4-3-3 formation with two playmakers in midfield, usually Jorginho and Marco Verratti, to support two wingers who like to pierce the box from the side and two wing-backs who attack aggressively from wide.

But Mancini's revolution did not undermine the Azzurri's fundamentals by still retaining two experienced defensive gladiators Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. These two people became a symbol of the existence of catenaccio in an explosively attacking team. Italy is unbeaten in the last 33 matches.

Half Step to Champion

If England have only reached the final of a major tournament which they won at the 1966 World Cup, then for Italy, the final is a routine where the Euro 2020 final is the tenth final in a major tournament.

"Initially when he told us to think about winning the Euros, we thought he was crazy," said Chiellini. "But years later he has created a team that is now close to doing just that."

Yes, if England is halfway to the championship, so is Italy. However, the Azzurri have a good report card against England which they have beaten four times in major tournaments. But they now have to face England, supported by a very pro-British crowd of 60,000.

Italian National Team. (Twitter @euro2020)

Italy is not afraid because it is used to undergoing finals in other countries. Of the five World Cup and European Cup wins, three have come outside of Italy which are all at the World Cup; 1938 in France, 1982 in Spain and 2006 in Germany.

What is also interesting is that both teams have squads whose quality is evenly distributed both for the first team and the reserve team.

Therefore, the determining factor for the match may be Southgate and Mancini's foresight in reading the match. And so far they are keen to analyze the game and the needs of his team. Unfortunately, in the final it was impossible for both of them to succeed.

Match Scenario

Apart from Leonardo Spinazzola who was injured against Belgium, Italy has not been bothered by the fitness problems of its players. Roberto Mancini has the squad fully ready to play against England in a 4-3-3 formation.

In front of goal, Gianluigi Donnarumma is irreplaceable. Meanwhile, centre-backs Leonardo Bonucci and captain Giorgio Chiellini will form a defensive barricade to stop Harry Kane. They will be flanked by right-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo and right-back Emerson Palmieri, but Emerson could be a weak point that England could exploit.

For the second line, Italy maintains the trio of midfielders who are the foundation of the Azzurri's game. Thus, Jorginho returned to stop England from building attacks from the middle while helping Italy control ball traffic through his ability to dictate the tempo of the game. Meanwhile, Nicolo Barella and Marco Verratti, were tasked with putting pressure on the England defense until they could not operate in the heart of the Italian defence. This duo is also creative forces in freeing the attackers to freely damage the English back line.

In the final third of the field, Federico Chiesa, Lorenzon Insigne and Ciro Immobille will form an attacking trident that is ready to terrorize England. Chiesa will again be a starter who is likely to fill the right wing position. While on the left wing, Lorenzo Insigne will be a constant threat to England, which is supported by his fast running ability.

Ciro Immobile is still installed as a number 9 filler to face England's physically very strong defense. Mancini can also install Insigne as a false nine flanked by Chiesa and Berardi.

England National Team. (Twitter @england)

Instead, the Three Lions took a hit after Phil Foden picked up a minor injury in training the day before this final. It is still uncertain whether the Manchester City midfielder has recovered when this match kickoff.

But outside of Foden, coach Gareth Southgate has not experienced any significant problems in terms of player fitness. He is still filled with offensive options ready to play should Foden not appear.

Southgate is likely to use the 4-2-3-1 formation that he almost always used during Euro 2020. He will not use the three centre-back formation he has used before. Jordan Pickford will return to guard the goal, which will be protected by two bars of John Stones and Harry Maguire who become rock that is difficult for opponents to penetrate.

Kyle Walker filled in at right-back to partner Luke Shaw on the left wing of the England defence. But the Manchester United star who is one of the main creators of the creation of England's chances will not be too free to help attack because he will be preoccupied by the very dynamic Federico Chiesa.

Southgate also did not want to switch from the duo of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips who became the double axis of the game. Both of these players played fluidly so they effectively played their roles.

To face Jorginho the Azzurri midfield general, the Italian midfielder will be bothered by fellow Chelsea player Mason Mount. Mount will fill role number 10 to create the prologue to the attacks the strikers follow through.

Raheem Sterling and captain Harry Kane are also irreplaceable. As before, Southgate will only be tweaking the right flank of attack where the choice is now almost always between Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka. But it is Saka who performed brilliantly against Denmark who will be installed as a starter.

Stats between the Two Teams

The two teams have met only once in the knockout stages of a major tournament when Italy won on penalties at Euro 2012 in Ukraine. Their first meeting in a major tournament came at Euro 1980 when Marco Tardelli tricked England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to win 1-0 in the group stages.

In 1990, they met in the race for third place at the World Cup and Salvatore Schillaci's penalty gave the Azzurri a 2-1 win or the Three Lions.

They met again in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. This time it was Mario Balotelli who became the hero of Italy's 2-1 victory over England. Four years later in the 2018 World Cup they drew 1-1.

In general they have met 27 times, Italy indeed 11 times, while England won eight times.