England vs Italy - 5 interesting facts | UEFA Euro 2020 Final
England and Italy are the last two teams standing after 50 enthralling games at Euro 2020.
Arguably, the two best teams at the tournament have made it to the Wembley final on Sunday, where one of them will be crowned the best in the continent. Defending champions Portugal, world champions France, three-time winners Germany and 1988 winners Netherlands, all fell in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, tournament favourites Belgium fell to Italy in the quarter-finals, with the Azzurri also accounting for three-time winners Spain in a penalty shootout in the last four. England started their campaign with five consecutive clean sheets before ending the run of high-flying Denmark in the semis to book a final with Italy.
Earlier in the tournament, Denmark became the first team in European Championship history to reach the knockout round after losing their first two games.
Ahead of the much-anticipated Euro 2020 final clash between England and Italy, let's look at five interesting facts going into the title match.
#5 England are winless in their last six competitive meetings with Italy
While England made a surprise run to the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, there is nothing surprising about the Three Lions reaching the Euro 2020 final.
That is because England have improved massively under Gareth Southgate. Despite the embarrassment of attacking riches at his disposal, the former player has traded solidity for flair, a tactic that has reaped rich dividends for England thus far.
However, in the final against Italy, England will have their task cut out for them. The Azzurri have gone from strength to strength after failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Roberto Mancini's men won all their Euro 2020 qualifying games and romped through the group stage without conceding a goal.
Italy then eked out narrow wins over Austria and Belgium to create a new record for the most consecutive wins at the Euros (including qualifiers). That run, though, came to an end in the 'draw' against Spain, which the Azzurri won on penalties.
England have a decent record against Italy, winning eight of their 27 meetings and drawing 11. But the Three Lions are winless against the Azzurri in their last six competitive fixtures, a run that stretches back to 1977. On that occasion, England won 2-0 at Wembley in a 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
In the last competitive meeting between the two teams, Italy beat England 2-1 in Manaus in their 2014 FIFA World Cup opener.
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#4 England have won only 1 of their 4 shootouts at the Euros, Italy 3 of their 5
England have an abysmal 3-6 record in penalty shootouts at major tournaments, with the Three Lions winning only one of their four shootouts at the Euros.
England beat Spain 4-2 on penalties in the Euro 1996 quarter-finals but fell 5-6 in another shootout against eventual champions Germany in the semi-finals. Since then, the Three Lions have come out on the wrong side of a penalty shootout at the Euros on two more occasions.
They fell 5-6 to Portugal in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals and 2-4 to Italy four years later at the same stage of the competition.
Meanwhile, Italy also have a losing overall penalty shootout record (5-7) at major tournaments. But the Azzurri have won three of their five shootouts at the Euros, with one of their three wins coming against England nine years ago. Italy also beat Netherlands 3-1 in the 2000 semi-finals shootout and Spain 4-2 at the same stage of the competition this year.
The Azzurri's two shootout losses at the Euros came against Germany (5-6 in the 2016 quarter-finals) and Spain (2-4 in the 2008 quarter-finals).