5 reasons why Italy will struggle against England tonight | Euro 2020 final
England and Italy will battle for continental glory in the final of Euro 2020 on Sunday.
It has taken England more than half a century to come within touching distance of a major international trophy. The Three Lions are up against a formidable Italian side that has played some of the most attractive football at the tournament.
After cruising through to the knockout stages, England dispatched Germany 2-0 in the Round of 16 to silence their critics. They thumped Ukraine 4-0 in the quarterfinals before squeezing out an invaluable goal in extra-time to beat Denmark 2-1 in the semifinals.
Italy beat Austria 2-1 in the Round of 16 before eliminating Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals. The Azzurri faced a tough test against Spain but they got the better of Luis Enrique's men in the shootout.
Both sides have had several standout performers and have unquestionably earned their place in the final. The showdown at Wembley promises to be an absolute cracker. It's difficult to pick which way this one is going to go. But we're putting our money on England.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Italy will struggle against England in the Euro 2020 final.
#5 England have conceded just one goal at Euro 2020
England have been extremely difficult to break down at Euro 2020. Gareth Southgate has received criticism for being too cautious and pragmatic in the past. He has definitely got his team playing more of an enterprising brand of football now but it has not come at the cost of defensive stability.
England have conceded just a single goal at Euro 2020 in six games. That goal was an unstoppable direct free-kick taken my Mikkel Damsgaard of Denmark in the semi-finals. England centre-backs Harry Maguire and John Stones have been excellent so far and have truly stepped up to the task.
Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips have been neat in possession and have doggedly swept up in front of defence. Italy's frontline will meet their match against England.
#4 Ciro Immobile's form
Ciro Immobile was a star for Italy in the group stage, scoring two goals and providing an assist in three appearances. However, he has not been able to replicate that form in the knockout stages. The fact that he hasn't received an adequate amount of service has definitely contributed to the problem.
Italy will need moments of brilliance to get the better of this English defence and it doesn't help that their striker hasn't scored in the last three games. In fact, he was arguably Italy's worst player in the quarter-final game against Belgium. He wasted multiple chances over the course of the game and hasn't looked very sharp in recent outings.
Immobile is almost certain to start the final and Roberto Mancini will be hoping that his star striker kicks into form when his team needs him most.