Introduction
On July 11, 2021, England and Italy faced off in the final of the UEFA European Championship at Wembley Stadium in London. The match took place after a long and grueling campaign for both teams, where they faced some of the best teams in Europe. After a closely-fought contest, Italy emerged victorious in a dramatic penalty shootout, which left England heartbroken and disappointed.
England’s Performance
England had a fantastic start to the tournament, winning all three of their group stage matches without conceding a single goal. They carried this form into the knockout stages, beating Germany in the round of 16 and Denmark in the semifinals. In the final, England started strongly, with Luke Shaw scoring a goal in the second minute of the game. However, Italy fought back with their trademark possession football and equalized in the 67th minute through Leonardo Bonucci.
Italy’s Tactics
Italy was known for their possession-based style of play throughout the tournament, and they were not afraid to dominate the ball against England. They used their strong midfield trio of Jorginho, Marco Verratti, and Nicolo Barella to control the game and keep England’s attackers at bay. Italy’s defenders also did an excellent job of restricting England’s forwards, with Gianluigi Donnarumma making some crucial saves in the game.
England’s Struggles
While England started the game on the front foot, they struggled to create clear chances after Italy’s equalizer. They relied on set-pieces and long-range shots, which did not trouble the Italian defense. England also seemed to tire as the game wore on, with players like Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling losing their sharpness in the latter stages of the match.
The Penalty Shootout
After 90 minutes of normal time and 30 minutes of extra time, the match ended in a 1-1 draw, leading to a nail-biting penalty shootout. Unfortunately for England, they missed three of their penalties, with Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka failing to convert their spot-kicks. On the other hand, Italy scored all of their penalties, with Jorginho scoring the winning goal to secure their second European Championship title.
Conclusion
England’s loss in the final was a bitter pill to swallow for their fans, as they came so close to bringing home their first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup. While they can take pride in their performances throughout the tournament, the team will need to learn from their mistakes and come back stronger in the future. As for Italy, their victory was well-deserved, and they proved to be one of the best teams in Europe on their road to the title.
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