Italy reporter Paolo Menicucci discusses how 22-year

Why Italy will win EURO 2020
Tuesday 6 July 2021 by Paolo Menicucci

"Every single player in the squad has stressed how united this group is," says Italy reporter Paolo Menicucci as he looks at the Azzurri's chances of EURO 2020 success.

Italy celebrate their first goal in the quarter-final against Belgium
Italy celebrate their first goal in the quarter-final against Belgium
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
EURO2020.com's Italy reporter Paolo Menicucci discusses how 22-year-old 'veteran' Gianluigi Donnarumma has filled Italy's goalkeeping void, as well as losing star man Leonardo Spinazzola through injury.

Italy can do it all
The Azzurri play attacking possession-based football with three technically skilled midfielders like Marco Verratti, Jorginho (the real brain of the team) and Nicolò Barella constantly moving the ball quickly. Their three attackers combine well and can always score great goals, as Federico Chiesa demonstrated against Austria and Lorenzo Insigne against Belgium, to mention a couple.

However, when required the Azzurri have also proved that they can form a solid blockade to protect Gianluigi Donnarumma with veteran centre-backs Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci transforming into gladiators, capable of disposing of every ball that comes near the Azzurri box. The perfect combination of youth and age.

Verratti and Donnarumma on Italy win
The best goalkeeper?
I think that Kevin De Bruyne will still be thinking about his first-half shot against Italy in the quarter-finals. The Manchester City midfielder had directed the ball perfectly towards the far post with a powerful, curled effort. He was primed to celebrate when, all of a sudden, the big hand of a diving Donnarumma appeared to turn his effort away.

At only 22 years old, the 'veteran' goalkeeper has already earned 31 caps for Italy and played in 215 Serie A games with AC Milan. Is it possible to fill the void left by a certain Gianluigi Buffon? Yes, when you are Gianluigi 2.0.

The strength of the group
From day one, every single player in the squad has stressed how united this group is. "We don’t have players like Ronaldo or Lukaku," says Bonucci. "Our star is the group." The centre-back added that this is probably the best Italy squad he has been in – some claim considering he's earned over 100 caps.

Watch Italy fans celebrate Insigne goal
It's obvious that Mancini has done a terrific job. The players seem to enjoy every minute together and this is reflected on the pitch; every player is ready to help their team-mates, and those starting on the bench are always ready to contribute. "We're never scared of making mistakes because we can always rely on our team-mates to give 100% and rescue us," says Federico Acerbi. "This makes the difference." It does.

On the other hand...
Losing Spinazzola was a terrible blow for Mancini. The Roma left-back has been one of the tournament's best surprises; he has twice been named Star of the Match. He seemed to be everywhere in the last-eight contest with Belgium until sustaining an Achilles injury which is likely to rule him out for a long time.

In that match, within a few crucial second-half minutes, Spinazzola made a goal-line block from a close-range Romelu Lukaku effort and went close to volleying in at the other end. His incredible energy will be sorely missed by Italy. Will the Azzurri be the same without super Spinazzola?

The match ultimately went to penalties, each side converting their first five kicks before Andreas Köpke saved from Gareth Southgate. Andreas Möller showed no mercy, sending Germany into a final against the Czech Republic they would win via a golden goal. England would have to wait 25 years for their next semi-final opportunity, with Southgate the manager leading his side's quest to go one better at last.

England vs Denmark: UEFA EURO 2020 match background, facts and stats
Sunday 4 July 2021

England have never reached a UEFA European Championship final as they take on Denmark, in the semi-finals for the first time since lifting the trophy in 1992.

England's Stuart Pearce looks to tackle Denmark's Fleming Poulsen at the 1992 EURO
England's Stuart Pearce looks to tackle Denmark's Fleming Poulsen at the 1992 EURO
Getty Images
England and Denmark meet at Wembley for a place in the final of UEFA EURO 2020 after taking contrasting routes to the semi-finals.

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• While England have become the first side to keep clean sheets in their first five EURO matches, overrunning Ukraine 4-0 in the quarter-finals, Denmark recovered from defeats in each of their first two games to win their last three and reached the last four with a narrow 2-1 victory against the Czech Republic in Baku.

• This is England's third EURO semi-final and a first since losing on penalties to Germany in 1996, also at Wembley. Denmark have to go back to 1992 for the most recent of their three last-four appearances, beating the Netherlands, also on spot kicks, on their way to taking the trophy.

• Victory would make England the 13th country to reach a EURO final, and the first newcomers since Greece and Portugal in 2004.

• The winners will play Italy or Spain in the final on 11 July, also at Wembley.

Previous meetings
England vs Denmark EURO 92 flashback
• Denmark have won only four of their 21 official games against England compared to 12 English victories – although the Danes were victorious in the most recent. Christian Eriksen's 35th-minute penalty earned a 1-0 success at Wembley in the UEFA Nations League on 14 October 2020, a game in which England's Harry Maguire was sent off just prior to the goal and debutant Reece James after the final whistle. Eriksen and Simon Kjær both won their 100th cap for Denmark in the match.

• The reverse fixture, at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on 8 September 2020, had finished scoreless. That was Kasper Hjulmand's second game as Denmark coach, in which Christian Nørgaard made his international debut for the home side and Kalvin Phillips, Conor Coady and Jack Grealish all won their first caps for England.

• That October victory was Denmark's third away to England and their second at Wembley, Allan Simonsen's penalty having secured a 1-0 win there in September 1983, a result that proved instrumental in the Danes reaching the 1984 UEFA European Championship at England's expense.

• Denmark were also 3-2 winners in an Old Trafford friendly in November 2003.

• The sides were also paired together in the 1980 UEFA European Championship qualifying competition, England winning 4-3 in Copenhagen and 1-0 at Wembley on their way to the final tournament in Italy.