England vs Italy - 5 interesting facts | UEFA Euro 2020 Final

Bhargav
England players rejoice after their UEFA Euro 2020 semi-final win over Denmark.
England players rejoice after their UEFA Euro 2020 semi-final win over Denmark.

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

England players after scoring against Denmark in their UEFA Euro 2020 semi-final.
England players after scoring against Denmark in their UEFA Euro 2020 semi-final.

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.

You may also like: England vs Italy - Last 5 competitive meetings | UEFA Euro 2020.


#4 England have won only 1 of their 4 shootouts at the Euros, Italy 3 of their 5

Andrea Pirlo (right) scored an incredible 'Panenka' against Joe Hart in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals.
Andrea Pirlo (right) scored an incredible 'Panenka' against Joe Hart in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals.

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).

#3 Only three teams have ever won the Euros on home soil

France (1984) are the last hosts to win the Euros on home soil.
France (1984) are the last hosts to win the Euros on home soil.

The European Championship has not been won by the host team in almost four decades, so England will have the odds stacked against them on Sunday.

In fact, only six host nations have ever reached the Euro final, with the last two - France (2016) and Portugal (2004) - falling short in the title match. Euro 2020 has been played all over Europe, but with England making the Wembley final, the Three Lions are considered the hosts for the game.

Spain (who Soviet Union 2-1) in 1964, Italy (who beat Yugoslavia 2-0) in 1968 and France (who beat Spain 2-0) in 1984 are the only teams to have won the Euros on home soil.

Euro 2004 hosts, Portugal, fell to surprise winners Greece in the final that year. Twelve years later, the same misfortune befell France when Portugal won by a solitary goal after extra time.

Buoyed by the fact that they have never lost a major final on home soil (they beat West Germany 4-2 in the 1966 FIFA World Cup), England will be keen to buck the trend.


#2 Italy could create a new record for the longest gap between successive European Championship triumphs

Italy players rejoice following their penalty-shootout win over Spain in the Euro 2020 semi-final.
Italy players rejoice following their penalty-shootout win over Spain in the Euro 2020 semi-final.

Italy have been a force to be reckoned with at Euro 2020, entering the tournament as dark horses and quickly becoming one of the favourites to go all the way.

The Azzurri are unbeaten in 33 games in over three years since a defeat to Portugal in the Nations League in 2018. It is Italy's longest unbeaten run in all competitions, beating their previous best of 30 (1935 to 1939).

The penalty-shootout win over Spain has propelled Italy to their fourth European Championship final, their first in nine years. If the Azzurri emerge victorious, it will be their second title in the competition and their first since 1968.

That would break the previous record of 44 years (Spain - 1964, 2008) between successive triumphs by a team in the competition. In the process, Italy will also emulate Spain (3), Germany (3) and France (2) as the only teams to win multiple European Championships.


#1 England could become the 11th different team to win the Euros

England vs Denmark - UEFA Euro 2020: Semi-final
England vs Denmark - UEFA Euro 2020: Semi-final

After coming behind to defeat high-flying Denmark in the semi-final, England have become the 13th different team to reach the title match at the European Championship.

If they can continue their proud record of never losing a major final on home soil, the Three Lions will become the 11th different team to triumph at the competition. However, for that to happen, Gareth Southgate's men will have to notch up their first competitive win over Italy in 44 years - an onerous task but not beyond England.

The Three Lions have played five of their six Euro 2020 games at home, conceding just once. This might augur well for their hopes of toppling Roberto Mancini's men on Sunday in another 'home' game.

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Edited by Ritwik Kumar
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