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England will take on Italy in one of the Group C games of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers. The fixture is to be played at the historic Wembley Stadium on Tuesday (October 17).
The Three Lions have registered 13 points from five games in the group so far, and they are also ranked first in the standings.
Their opponents have secured 10 points from five games in Group C so far and rank second on the table.
That said, this listicle will look at three key individual battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.
#3 Jude Bellingham vs Manuel Locatelli
By current form, Jude Bellingham is the most priced asset and the most dangerous midfielder in England, having scored 10 goals in 10 games for Real Madrid this season.
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To make matters more complex, monitoring his movements in and around the penalty box is tough, as he's highly imaginative with the ball as well. Hence, Locatelli will have to be on guard in midfield if he intends to keep Bellingham under wraps.
Nevertheless, Locatelli is highly efficient in midfield, and his defensive awareness is outstanding as well. If he could stop Bellingham from operating with ease in midfield, England's creative prowess will definitely decrease.
#2 Domenico Berardi vs Kieran Trippier
In the absence of Federico Chiesa, Domenico Berardi is the most spontaneous and powerful winger that the Italians could rely on.
The forward has netted five goals in six games for Sassuolo this season. Also, he has netted two goals in two UEFA Euro qualification fixtures so far.
In the absence of Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw, Trippier will most likely feature at left-back for England. Monitoring Berardi's movements on the flank could prove to be a tough task and Trippier will have his work cut out.
#1 Harry Kane vs Alessandro Bastoni
In terms of finishing, there are only a few strikers that come close to England's Harry Kane. He's scored five goals in five UEFA Euro qualification fixtures so far. Furthermore, Kane has netted nine goals in 10 games for Bayern Munich this season.
On the other hand, Bastoni's ball-winning prowess is crisp, and if he could silence Kane in this clash, England's chances of winning this game could decrease.
