Gareth Southgate, a man everyone in England owes a massive apology, what a job he’s done ? pic.twitter.com/BEiFC8Sc06
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) July 8, 2021
The involvement of Celtic’s Scotland players at Euro 2020 ended at the group stage, but for Bhoys fans and the Tartan Army it was all about taking part after a 23-year absence from a major tournament.
Proud Scots have precious little good to say about the Auld Enemy, yet England were pre-tournament favourites to win a maiden European Championship.
You won’t hear Three Lions blaring over the PA system at Parkhead, yet Gareth Southgate’s side have reached their first final in 55 years.
England supporters will be unbearable to live with if they do bring the trophy back to England.
But the Southgate players have grown into the tournament, seemingly improving each game.
According to the Euro 2021 odds, the Three Lions are 17/10 favourites to win the final in 90 minutes, but it’s anybody’s game as the Italians have shown their quality in this tournament.
If they are to live up to those odds, then Southgate must topple one of European international football’s form sides in Italy. Coached by former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, the Azzurri have always found a way to win and are on a long, 33-match unbeaten run.
Italy have only lost one match in the last three years, and that was in September 2018 away to then reigning European champions Portugal. This run to the final of the Euros is the perfect response to the Azzurri failing to qualify for the last World Cup under Mancini’s predecessor Gian Piero Ventura.
England’s improvement and progression
England have gone one stage further here at Euro 2020 than in Russia three years ago when Croatia eliminated them in the semis after extra time. Their semi-final battle with Denmark needed an extra half-hour to decide with a controversial Harry Kane penalty winning it.
Southgate saw what this crop of Three Lions were made of in that game as they came from behind. That was a position they hadn’t been in before at the tournament, so the response was exactly what he would’ve wanted.
Italy’s experience can stop England
Out to stop Kane, who has scored four goals in the three knockout phase games, and the tireless Raheem Sterling, who netted England’s first three goals at the Euros, are veteran Italian defensive duo Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
For many years, this has been the centre-back pairing for the Azzurri and the aptly named Old Lady of Juventus. They should relish the physical tussle with Kane, but may not appreciate pacier England players running in behind them.
That is one tactical nuance Southgate must consider if he is to get change out of a miserly Italian defence. With those masters of the dark arts in front of him, Azzurri stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma kept clean sheets in all three group stage games, but the knockout phase ties suggest that defence can be breached when teams have a go at them.
The midfield battle between England pair Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips and Italy’s Jorginho and Marco Verratti will dictate play. Southgate’s defence, marshalled by Harry Maguire, may have their hands full with Lazio striker Ciro Immobile, who is anything but what his name suggests.
Azzurri wide forwards Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Chiesa have also got a couple of goals at Euro 2020, so Three Lions full-backs Luke Shaw and Kyle Walker must try and keep them quiet.
Failure to tame the Italians and football could be going to Rome, rather than ‘coming home’.