England host Italy on Tuesday evening on the brink of qualification for the 2024 European Championships in Germany.
Gareth Southgate’s side can effectively seal a spot in next summer’s continental jamboree with a win at Wembley Stadium.
Italy have recovered from a shaky start to the campaign to only trail England by three points in Group C – although Ukraine and North Macedonia are still very much in the race for one of the top two spots that guarantee passage to Germany.
Here’s everything you need to know about a crucial qualifier between the two finalists of the previous Euros.
England vs Italy H2H Results
Current Form (Last Five Games)
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Channel 4 |
|
United States |
Fox Sports 1, fuboTV, Foxsports.com, ViX, FOX Sports App |
|
Canada |
DAZN |
International football rights holders around the world
|
Country |
Broadcaster |
|---|---|
|
Argentina |
ESPN, Star+ |
|
Brazil |
TVGlobo, SporTV, GloboPlay (streaming), ESPN, Star+ (streaming) |
|
France |
Free, L’Equipe Web, L’Equipe, Molotov, TF1, M6, DAZN |
|
Germany |
DAZN |
|
Italy |
RAI, Sky Sport, Channel 20 (free to air) |
|
Spain |
fuboTV Espana, RTVE.es, TVE La 1 |
England managed to amble through a tepid friendly against Australia on Friday without any injury scares. Southgate used the low-stakes occasion to give John Stones some much-needed game time after struggling with a hip injury since the summer.
The Manchester City centre-back only returned to Pep Guardiola’s side off the bench in the recent defeat to Arsenal on the eve of the international window.
Southgate has had to do without Arsenal’s injured Bukayo Saka, who missed that heavyweight fixture with City entirely. The 22-year-old forward was still obliged to travel to St George’s Park last Monday before England’s medical staff agreed with their counterparts in north London.
England predicted lineup vs Italy (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Dunk, Trippier; Phillips, Rice, Bellingham; Foden, Kane, Grealish
Nicolo Zaniolo and Sandro Tonali, two of Italy’s Premier League representatives, were discharged from the squad on Thursday after allegations of an illegal betting scandal emerged.
Aston Villa‘s Zaniolo and Newcastle United’s summer acquisition Tonali are still allowed to play for their club sides – the investigation is being carried out under the assumption of innocence – but Luciano Spalletti didn’t take the risk of calling upon distracted players.
Lazio’s Mattia Zaccagni won’t be playing for anyone after leaving Italy’s squad with a thigh issue. Zaccagni’s teammate Ivan Provedel and Juventus’ decisive forward Federico Chiesa have also been forced to return home through injury.
Italy predicted lineup vs England (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Frattesi, Locatelli, Barella; Berardi, Raspadori, Kean
Spalletti – a Serie A winner with Napoli last summer – only took over his national team last month. After a stuttering 1-1 draw against Italy’s bogey team North Macedonia on his debut, Spalletti has overseen consecutive victories against Ukraine and Malta.
However, both of those wins occurred on Italian soil. The Azzurri may have lifted the European Championships when they last faced England at Wembley but they have largely struggled on their travels in recent years; Italy have won just three of their last nine competitive matches away from home.
England, by comparison, have won six of their seven matches since bowing out against France in the World Cup quarter-finals – a tournament which Italy couldn’t qualify for. If they lose to England again, as happened in Naples last March, Italy will be at risk of missing another major tournament.
Prediction: England 2-1 Italy
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