EURO 2020 will be over with the final game between England-Italy at the Wembley Stadium on the 11th of July. As Comparisonator, we analyzed both finalist teams’ performances at the tournament, looked at the strong and weak points and try to see the final before the first whilst.
Italy has very impressive stats over offensive parameters.
According to Comparisonator data, Italy’s most vital part of their tactic is passing; they are the fourth team at the total passes. At the semi-final against Spain, Italy was successful at 76% with 328 passes 431.
Italy’s 10% of total successful passes were to the final third. Italian players have impressive stats at success in smart passes, key passes and through passes indeed.
Besides passes, success at the duels is significant in Italy’s game; they won 192 offensive duels and 229 pressing duels at the tournament, which can mean that it is not easy to take the ball from Italian players.
Italy is not considered an aerial team, not very high at the aerial stats such as losing more than half of aerial duels and headshots; this can be seen as Italy prefers the game to play on the floor.
Also, the Italian team is not using crosses effectively; for example, at the quarter-final against Belgium, only 4 crosses were from Italy, and 3 were successful. At the semi-final against Spain, Italy had no success crosses at the whole match.
Italy is an offensive team, so their defensive parameters not that high. However, they have low stats at ball losings and the top 5 ball recoveries, especially at the opponents half.
Italy is a goal scorer team. They have 60 shot assists, 96 shots, and 32 shots on target recorded at the previous 6 matches at the EURO 2020 and touching the ball at the box 134 times makes Italy a domineering opponent for England.
At the beginning of the tournament, England was not a very shinny team and not considered as a favourite of the final but got higher stats over Comparisonator parameters on the road of the final.
According to Comparisonator data, England had an impressive change at all parameters, both offensive and defensive.
At the group games, England was not efficient at offensive parameters such as total 170 attack actions, 10 shots on target and 190 passes to opponents third. There were no vast differences at the quarter-final against Ukraine but at semi-final, England’s levels up to the highest level. For example, 89 attack actions, 10 shots on target, 276 passes to final third only against Denmark.
Another change of England’s game was on winning duels.
After Round 16, England had faced 239 offensive duels and won only 95 of them, which makes 40% of success, but when it comes to the same parameter of the Denmark game, England won 55 offensive duels of 112, more than 50%.
As the parameters shown, England’s game transformed with the place of the ball and moved to the opponents’ box. England’s average touch at the box was 14 at the previous games, but it reached to 44 at the semi-final match.
From the beginning to the semi-final match, significant changes in England’s game make them unpredictable, hard to face and prepare for Italy.
