Italy vs England Combined XI | UEFA EURO 2020 Final
The final of Euro 2020 is just a few hours away, and the hype is off the charts. England host Italy at the Wembley on Sunday night as both footballing giants will battle it out to become the European champions.
Both teams have been absolutely brilliant at Euro 2020 and deserve to be in the final. Italy needed a penalty-shootout against Spain after playing out a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes to reach the title match. Meanwhile, a late Harry Kane goal in extra time saw England get past resilient Denmark to book their place against Italy in the final.
This will be England’s first-ever appearance in a European Championship final and their first at a major tournament since winning the 1966 FIFA World Cup. For Italy, this is their fourth European Championship final and their first in nine years.
It is rare to see both the best teams in a tournament reach the final, but that has been the story of Euro 2020 thus far. Both finalists have had flawless campaigns thus far.
On that note, let's take a look at a hypothetical combined XI of both teams ahead of the Euro 2020 final.
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
It was a tough call to make, considering how reliable and consistent both Gianluigi Donnarumma and Jordan Pickford have been at Euro 2020. But Donnarumma gets the nod, as he has been a towering presence between the posts for Italy and has arguably shone brighter than Pickford at the tournament.
It is impressive to see Donnarumma dishing out performances belying his 22 years of age. His ability to cope with pressure situations makes him one of the best in the game at the moment. With three clean sheets and solid performances throughout the tournament, Donnarumma has had a Euro 2020 campaign to remember.
Although England boast the best defensive record at Euro 2020 and Jordan Pickford has already won the Golden Glove, Donnarumma is more deserving of his place in this hypothetical XI.