When Mancini took charge Italy were at a low but he has forged a brilliant team spirit combined with his tactical excellenceThe England fans sang “It’s Coming Home”, but a banner at the blue end of Wembley begged to differ. “Football’s Coming Rome” might not be good grammar, but a little artistic licence must be allowed when your team is making history in hostile territory as Italy did on Sunday night.Thirty-four games unbeaten, and now the champions of Europe. Who ever could have imagined such a scenario when Roberto Mancini took charge three years ago? His first game was a friendly against Saudi Arabia, who were using the match as a tune-up event for a World Cup that Italy had...
Southgate’s side let early control slip and the madness tamed them, the dream ending with Saka’s saved penaltyA butterfly flaps its wings in the skies above London, and the faintest pulse of air whistles around the grand white Wembley arch, and 436 feet below England’s luck is about to run out. The atmosphere heaves and wheezes with the heavy breath of 66,000 fans. The ball will shortly leave Bukayo Saka’s foot, and in that moment nothing else will seem to matter.It won’t matter that these brave, brilliant lads have charmed the nation. Related: Italy crush England’s dreams after winning Euro 2020 on penalties Continue reading...
England may revert to a back three and must stymie Italy’s menacing left flank – but set pieces could hold the keyBefore every game, the biggest question has been whether Gareth Southgate should go with a back three or a back four. Block in the opposing wing-/full-backs or give them a defensive problem? There is no definitive answer. Related: Gareth Southgate’s special qualities can be lost amid political squabbles | Barney Ronay Related: England’s origin stories: this is where football came home from Continue reading...
Nation has fallen back in love with the Azzurri’s attacking style but it will mean nothing if they fall at the final hurdleRoberto Mancini has achieved the goal he set out at the start of Euro 2020. In an open letter on the eve of the tournament, Italy’s manager promised that his team would throw themselves at this opportunity with the enthusiasm of kids in the playground, offering their country “moments of joy that, just for a second, will let us forget about the year we’ve just gone through”.That much had been delivered by the end of the curtain-raiser against Turkey. Italy won 3-0, but more than that they attacked with relentless commitment, pouring forward to the end. Ciro Immobile...
Kane’s movement, the wide players’ pace and substitutions could bring joy for Southgate, Euro 2020’s best chess player Romelu Lukaku found out the hard way how good Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci are. The Belgium striker tried to get the better of Italy’s veteran centre-backs by going right up against them but they thrive on such tactics, and even someone who has scored 50 goals for club and country in the past year was kept quiet.Chiellini and Bonucci have 219 caps between them so know a thing or two about how to defend at this level, ensuring Lukaku’s best chance came from the penalty spot. They like everything in front of them – they want to bully strikers, get round...