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Italy and Spain are ready to reignite their rivalry in the 2020 UEFA European Championship semi-final at Wembley, with a place in the final at stake in England’s home of football.
The mighty Azzurri and La Roja have met in the knockouts of the last three editions of the Euros, with Italy defeating Spain 2-0 in the ‘Round of 16’ match in Euro 2016. In the Euro 2012 final, Spain emerged victorious 4-0, repeating the result from the Euro 2008 quarter-final where the Spaniards emerged winners on penalties.
Roberto Mancini’s men started their Euro 2020 campaign, winning two consecutive matches against Turkey and Switzerland by the scoreline of 3-0. Italy defeated Wales 1-0 in the last group match before overcoming the Austrian challenge by winning 2-1 after extra time. The Italians repeated the 2-1 scoreline against Belgium, booking a semi-final spot in the tournament.
Spain had a shaky start to Euro 2020, drawing to Sweden and Poland before defeating Slovakia 5-0 to end as runner-up in Group E. Luis Enrique’s side defeated Croatia 5-3 after extra time in their ‘Round of 16’ fixture before overcoming Switzerland on penalties in the quarter-final.
Team News
Giorgio Chiellini is back to full fitness, and Mancini was glad to field his first-choice defence against Belgium, but left-back Leonardo Spinazzola was taken off the pitch after 80 minutes. The Roma defender has undergone successful surgery on his Achilles tendon and has been ruled out for a few months.
Enrique could field a full-strength side in the semi-final if Pablo Sarabia regains full fitness by Tuesday after being taken off the pitch at half-time against Switzerland. If the Paris Saint-Germain attacker fails to be fit enough for a place in the starting XI, RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo could take his place in La Roja’s forward line.
Key Players
Jorginho is a silent contributor in the Italian midfield and has run the third-most distance in Euro 2020, only behind Spain’s Pedri and Czech Republic’s Tomas Soucek. The Chelsea midfielder screens the defense and sets the tempo of the Azzurri midfield allowing the likes of Manuel Locatelli, Marco Verratti, and Nicolo Barella to operate with more freedom.
Giovanni di Lorenzo has been a key figure in the Azzurri backline since Alessandro Florenzi picked up a muscle injury in the tournament opener against Turkey. The Napoli right-back will be expected to be on top form and keep the likes of Ferran Torres, Olmo, and Jordi Alba silent.
Cezar Azpilicueta has had a big effect on how Spain defends and attacks as the veteran full-back does his defensive duties expertly and then supports the attack and the defence, as seen in his headed goal against him Croatia.
Unai Simon is not regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, unlike David de Gea, who has been benched for the entirety of the current tournament. The Athletic Bilbao custodian has impressed one and all since his horror mistake for Pedri’s own goal by bouncing back with aplomb and making multiple saves at the back.
Prediction
Italy would be looking to maintain their perfect run in the tournament by defeating the 2008 and the 2012 European Champions. Mancini has helped the team come a long way, and he would love to reap the rewards at this stage.
Nobody would have expected Spain to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2020, but La Roja is here and would have the final in their sights on Tuesday.
