Italy UEFA Euro 2016 Predicted Lineup: Probable Starting 11 for the Azzuri

Forwards

Conte will hope Zaza and El Shaarawy combine well up front

Italy have a history of boasting the best forward lines over the years. To come from the likes of Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Roberto Baggio, Christian Vieri and Filippo Inzaghi to Eder, Ciro Immobile, Graziano Pelle and Simone Zaza will have the most ardent Azzurri fan cringing with embarrassment.

However, this is the pool Antonio Conte must choose from, and the Italian manager seems to still harbour doubts, changing his forward line regularly in the pre-Euro friendlies. Conte favours a tall-and-tiny combination up front, and with both Zaza and Pelle enjoying disappointing seasons, Simone Zaza’s relative familiarity with Conte’s Juventus system should see him get the nod.

Immobile seemed bright in the friendly against Finland, although given Stephan El Shaarawy’s fantastic performances for Roma in the second half of the Serie A season, Conte might have no option other than to pair his best attacking threat with Zaza up front, with Eder and Insigne, whose lack of effort Conte has been critical off, making up the numbers.

Here is the final formation (3-5-2):