The big day has arrived. Italy is preparing to experience a historic sports Sunday, with London as the epicenter of everything: between Wimbledon, home of the final between Novak Djokovic and our Matteo Berrettini (first blue to do it in 134 years of history!) and Wembley, where Italy-England will be staged, there are only 14 miles, yet they can be the difference between an important day and an absolutely unforgettable one.
Beyond the pride of having arrived this far, it is clear that now results count, especially in football: if to win in tennis, in fact, a sensational feat would be needed (Djokovic is always number one in the world), this is not the case for the blues, who start underdogs only for environmental issues. From a technical point of view though Mancini's team if he can play great with that of Southgate, as admitted by the coach himself in yesterday's press conference.
"England is strong, he has many weapons even from the bench, but so are we – his words -. But we have to stay calm and focus on our game, we still have one last game and we want to do it well, even having fun. I'm not agitated, even if it is clear that the pressure is very different compared to the beginning: this, after all, is the final..”. For Roberto, the true deus ex machina of this national team, it is undoubtedly the highest point of a career lived at very important levels, however, without ever managing to touch certain international peaks.
The moment may have finally arrived, especially since as a player, even through his fault, the marriage with the blue shirt never really took off. “I played for an extraordinary Under 21 team and for a fantastic national team, but we didn't manage to win either in 1988 or in the 1990 home world cup – confirmed the coach from Jesi -. I hope I can catch me those satisfactions that I didn't get as a footballer, despite having been in very strong teams”.
For bookmakers England is the favourite, if only because he will play in an almost full Wembley (75% of the capacity) and, inevitably, colored with the cross of St. George, but outside the "perfidious Albion" there are many who are rooting for the Azzurri, starting with the Scots of The National, which yesterday placed Mancini disguised as Braveheart on the front page indicating him as "Final Hope" against the victory of the hated cousins. In short, the climate is hot and tonight it will be even more hot on the pitch, where they will be on stage absolutely unmissable duels. Above all, for obvious reasons, the one between Giorgio Chiellini and Harry Kane, considered by many insiders as decisive for the purposes of the challenge. “I've always liked him, I'm a big fan of him and Paratici can confirm it too – explained the blue captain-. England are formidable, they know how to hurt, a warm heart and a cold head will be needed, in some moments we will have to be daring, in others to be lucid: in moments like these, there are so many emotions, we still lack the last centimeter to reach all together".
For once there are no training doubts, in the sense that Mancini has already had him in mind since Tuesday evening after the success against Spain. The eleven for the final will be the same, therefore 4-3-3 with Donnarumma in goal, Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini and Emerson Palmieri in defense, Verratti, Jorginho and Barella in midfield, Chiesa, Immobile and Insigne in attack.
If there is so much pressure on Italy, let alone on England, in the first final of an important tournament after that of 1966, which was the only one reached. An incredible enthusiasm is winding through London, in the sign of that “Football's Coming Home” (football is coming home) who accompanied the Lions throughout the European Championship: even Queen Elizabeth fanned the flames by posting a photo on the Instagram profile of the Royal Family that portrays her with Bobby Moore and the 66 World Cup, wishing his family to be able to repeat success. “
We are in the final and we are here to win – confirmed Southgate bluntly -. We want to go home with the cup in our hands. We are ready, tactically prepared, the boys are used to playing games of this kind, we want to do something important, unique. This is our moment, what happened in the past is not important, only the present matters”. “Chiellini and Bonucci are two great defenders, two warriors – echoed Kane -. They will put everything on the field to win, just like we will: if we win, we will be remembered for life."
IThe English CT will have to do without Foden, injured before the finish, otherwise all skilled and enlisted for a 4-2-3-1 that will see Pickford between the posts, Walker, Stones, Maguire and Shaw in the back, Philips and Rice in the middle, Saka, Mount and Sterling behind lone striker Kane. The referee of the match will be the Dutch Kuipers, whose role is in the spotlight after Wednesday's episode, which saw England beat Denmark thanks to a generous penalty from compatriot Makkelie. Controversies that, we hope, can remain on paper, because tonight the referee will only have to be a splendid extra.
