England will be hosting Italy to decide upon the winners of the Euro 2020 at Wembly. This will be the 28th encounter between the two European giants.
The last time these two nations collided it ended as a draw as Jamie Vardy’s opener was later on cancelled out by Lorenzo Insigne penalty. The battle between England and Italy has always produced some memorable encounters. Let’s have a look at 3 of the best clashes between the two European titans who are going to battle for the glory on Sunday.
Italy 2 England 1 (World Cup 1990)
England and Italy were both knocked out of the tournament in the semifinals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Thus, the two European nations were battling for 3rd place in the competition. The game saw the departure of one of the all-time greats as Peter Shilton played his final match for England. A mistake from the England legend gave Italy an early lead in the game. Moreover, an 85th-minute penalty from Toto Schillaci saw Italy take home the bronze medal.
It was one of the classics of all time which also saw the veteran manager sir Bobby Robson’s last match as an England manager.
Italy 0 England 0 (That one night in Rome)
The infamously brutal clash between the two European giants. England needing a point to qualify for the 1998 World Cup and thus the result was written in the stars for The Three Lions. England got the job done as Paul Ince, the captain for the night, leaving the pitch with a blood-soaked shirt and a bandage around his head at full-time.
“…And then one night in Rome, we were strong – we had grown.” Remembering Glenn Hoddle’s team performance can inspire many to never give up. Thus, playing till the last blow of the whistle is what one can learn from this classic encounter.
England 0 Italy 0 (Euro 2012)
England are well known for their Penalty heartbreaks. It was yet another one to rub the sault on the English fans wounds. Roy Hodgson’s team gave their all, but honestly, were just not good enough to overcome an Impressive Italy side. Moreover, beating England 4-2 on penalties in the quarterfinals, Italy went all the way to the Euro 2012 finals. However, The Azzurri’s failed to conquer the European title losing to Spain in the finals.
Believing in statistical history might cherish some English fans. As going back in 2012 Chelsea won the Champions League and Italy lost the Euro finals. And this time around the things look similar as Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021 and Italy are yet again in the European Championship finals. Let’s see if history can repeat itself or England might snuggle to yet another heartbreak.
