Italy is crowned as the UEFA EURO 2020 Champions:
UEFA Euro 2020 final was played between England and Italy in Wembly Stadium in which Italy emerged as the winner. Everyone was excited for the biggest match of 2021 England Vs Italy.
Italy defeated England 3-2 in a penalty shootout on Sunday, with Bukayo Saka missing the decisive attempt to deprive the hosts after the game at Wembley had finished in a grueling 1-1 stalemate after extra time.
Saka's penalty was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma, giving Italy the Henri Delaunay trophy for the second time. England scored the first two penalties, but Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho also missed. Jorginho might have won it for Italy, but Jordan Pickford saved his penalty, providing newfound hope to the England fans, who had previously caused a frenzy with their team seeming ready to romp away with the final.
The nail-biting finish seemed improbable considering how the contest began, with Luke Shaw scoring for Gareth Southgate's England after just one minute and 57 seconds, the fastest goal ever in a European Championship final, startling a squad who came here on a record 33-match undefeated streak. Italy was shell-shocked and failed to recover in a stadium with an official attendance of 67,173, but more England fans certainly got in after shameful scenes when supporters without tickets rushed the gates.
Serious concerns will be raised about security, and the game was briefly disrupted late on by a pitch invader, but English supporters were clearly anxious to see their side win a major event for the first time since the 1966 World Cup.
On the other hand, Italy enjoyed the majority of the possession after going behind and deserved to equalize when Leonardo Bonucci scored midway through the second half. This was the first European Championship final decided on penalties since 1976, with no further goals. It's more penalty misery for England, who had previously lost shoot-outs to Italy at Euro 2012 and to Germany in the Euro 96 semi-finals when Southgate missed the decisive kick. While their 55-year quest for another major international championship continues, Italy's own half-century of misery is ended.
The Azzurri have won four World Cups, but their only European Championship victory before this came in 1968. They have lost two European Championship finals in less than two decades, first to France through a golden goal in Rotterdam in 2000 and then to Spain in 2012, losing 4-0 in Kyiv.
Match analysis Italy vs England:
- With Gareth Southgate opting for a three-man defense, Luke Shaw delivered a beautiful finish to a cross from fellow wingback Kieran Trippier in the second minute to give England an early lead, sending the Wembley crowd into ecstasy. The goal shook Italy, but as the first half progressed, Italy came into the game.
- Roberto Mancini's squad had a day off between the semi-finals and the final, but they seemed utterly unprepared for the experience that awaited them in London.
- The hostile environment generated by England's baying fans, along with Southgate's tactical selections, appeared to take the Italians off the surprise. In the lone alteration from their semi-final, England welcomed back Kieran Trippier in place of Saka, reverting to a five-man defense.
- Within two minutes, England's system decision paid rewards as Harry Kane opened up the play for Trippier, who crossed from the right to the far post, where the arriving Shaw scored on the half-volley.
- Italy, which had not trailed at any point during the competition, was astonished, and the only surprise was that England did not try to emphasize they are apparent dominance.
- Instead, they handed the ball over to Mancini's team, certain that they could handle anything that was thrown at them. Italian retaliation. Even though Federico Chiesa remained a threat, England was rarely truly challenged in the first half. It was a very different scenario in the second half as Mancini went to his bench, replacing woeful striker Ciro Immobile with Domenico Berardi.
- As the game progressed, Chiesa probed again, forcing Pickford into a save, before a John Stones header from Trippier's corner was pushed over by Donnarumma.
- Federico Chiesa, who scored against Spain in the semi-finals, was Italy's main danger again, but it was center-back Leonardo Bonucci who dragged Roberto Mancini's squad back into the game after dominating for an extended period.
- In the 67th minute, the equalizer was scored. Marco Verratti dived to meet a corner with a header that Pickford pushed against the post, but Bonucci was on hand to score the rebound and celebrate with the throngs of Italian fans at Wembley.
- Italy then suffered an injury to their star player, Chiesa. Lorenzo Insigne was also taken off in extra time, as was Verratti.
- Meanwhile, England put on Jack Grealish in the hope of a little magic, but it would come down to penalties, and more heartbreak for them. Bonucci scored after Marco Veratti headed towards goal from a Lorenzo Insigne corner and Jordan Pickford clawed the ball away but only to the post.
- As the 90-minute round concluded, neither team could score, and the game headed to extra time, but not before Chiesa had to be replaced due to a niggle. Both teams kept it close in extra time, and with penalties looming, Southgate threw on Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.
- Jordan Henderson, who had come on as a substitute, was sacrificed before the penalty shootout, which appeared to be imminent.
- England grabbed an early lead in the penalty shootout when Italy's second spot-kick was missed by Andrea Belotti, and Harry Maguire converted his effort.
- Before Rashford struck the post, Bonucci held his cool to make it 2-2.
- Federico Bernardeschi took the ball and neatly placed it through the center for Italy's third goal.
- Gianluigi Donnaruma, Italy's goalkeeper, then saved Jadon Sancho's penalty, allowing Jorginho the chance to secure the victory for the Azzurri. But the midfielder, who had scored the game-winning penalty against Spain in the semi-finals, saw his shot saved by Jordan Pickford.
- England's last penalty taker was young winger Bukayo Saka, and Donnarumma rose to the occasion once more as Italy won their second European Championship.
England's 55-year quest for a major international trophy was ended at Wembley Stadium. Leonardo Bonucci canceled Luke Shaw's early goal before Gianluigi Donnarumma's heroics between the posts saw the Azzurri win the cherished silverware for the second time.
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