Italy vs Spain
Today, two continental heavyweights will meet under the Wembley arch in the Euro 2020 semi-finals, as Italy takes on old enemies Spain.
Both sides are determined to book a place in this year’s action-packed championship final, which will be a rematch of the nations’ one-sided 2012 final.
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Preview of the Match
After an exhilarating quarter-final win over Belgium in Munich, an invigorated Italy squad returns to London this week to face one of their oldest opponents, whom they first fought at the 1920 Olympics.
Nicolo Barella’s sixth international goal – his country has won every game in which he has scored – and an unstoppable Lorenzo Insigne blast against the Belgians extended the Azzurri’s record-breaking unbeaten run to 32 games, securing a hard-earned spot in the final four.
Veteran Juventus pair Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini were able to mostly muffle the threat posed by Romelu Lukaku, while Leonardo Spinazzola prevented Belgium’s star striker from scoring with a crucial goal-line clearance in the second half.
That victory established yet another record for an excellent Italian team, as they became the first to win 15 consecutive matches in European competition – including tournaments and qualification – and only the fourth to win five European Championship finals fixtures in a row.
Italy has won each of their last 13 matches, with their last setback coming in September 2018 against Portugal. Though it is already a distant memory, the defeat came as the wounds of failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup were still healing.
While Italy has finished second twice in the interim – in 2000 and 2012, when they were thrashed by Spain – their opponents on Tuesday are attempting to win the Euros for the fourth time, making them the competition’s most successful nation.
La Roja is determined to surpass Germany’s three victories, and each time they have won their quarter-final, they have gone on to win the tournament.
Luis Enrique’s uneven team has had a rocky start, and they were driven to penalties by a well-drilled Switzerland side, just like favourites France before them.
After goalkeeper Unai Simon saved from both Fabian Schar and Manuel Akanji in the last 16, young Ruben Vargas blazed his penalty over the bar, leaving replacement Mikel Oyarzabal to put Spain into the semi-finals.
Despite a sluggish start, Enrique’s men have already scored 12 goals in the competition, equaling their greatest ever total at a continental championships, which they set during the 2008 and 2012 triumphs.
Recent Form Of Both Team
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- D
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- D
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Italy’s starting lineup may look like this:
Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson; Barella, Jorginho, Verratti; Chiesa, Immobile, Insigne
Italy’s starting lineup may look like this:
Simon; Azpilicueta, Laporte, Torres, Alba; Koke, Busquets, Pedri; Torres, Morata, Olmo
Italy vs Spain: Who Do Will Make It The Final?
Our Prediction: Italy 1- 2 Spain
These two nations will meet for the third time in the Euros, and this one will be extremely tough to predict, with only a few moments of individual quality likely to separate them over the course of 90 minutes – and probably longer.
Italy, on the other hand, may make it to the final because of their superior cutting edge when it counts. Spain, on the other hand, can deny them possession and disrupt their mesmerizing rhythm, thus they cannot be ruled out.
