Euro 2020 final: Spain provided the blueprint to dull Italy´s strengths, now England must rise to th
There was a sense of justice and vindication about Italy reaching the final of Euro 2020. They had been arguably the most entertaining side at the tournament and attracted near-universal levels of acclaim for their performances.
Added to that, there was an inspiring narrative that followed their every step, how they d recovered from the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, started from scratch with a new coach and philosophy, and seen it all come together at their first major tournament since.
But they were fortunate to get beyond Spain in the semi-finals, eventually coming through on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
La Roja did more than enough to win the match, their 1.5 xG almost double the 0.8 that Italy recorded, highlighting the greater quality chances cre…