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EURO 2020 final match report Italy v England 11 July 2021

Italy were crowned Euro 2020 champions after beating England on penalties in the final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday evening.

England made one change from the victory over Denmark with Kieran Trippier coming in at right wing-back, replacing Bukayo Saka. Meanwhile, Italy remained unchanged from their win over Spain.

England began the match on the front foot and took the lead in dramatic fashion with just two minutes gone on the clock when Kieran Trippier delivered from the right-hand side to his opposite wing-back Luke Shaw at the back post, who rifled a half-volley in off the right-hand post.

With eight minutes gone, Federico Chiesa was fouled on the edge of the box and Lorenzo Insigne was designated with the set-piece but blazed the free-kick over the bar.

Gareth Southgate's men were quite content for Italy to have the ball in front of them with the Azzurri showing little attacking threat and mainly passing the ball sideways and backwards.

Chiesa was looking by far Italy's best player and in the 35th minute, the Juventus star went on a fantastic individual run after shrugging off Declan Rice before fizzing the ball on the wet turf on his left foot just wide of the left-hand upright.

England came out for the second half allowing the Italians onto them too much. And Roberto Mancini's side needed no second invitation as they began to push the hosts further and further back into their own half.

Insigne and Chiesa had decent attempts on goal before the visitors deservedly equalised in the 67th minute courtesy of an unlikely goalscorer in veteran centre-back Leonardo Bonucci. Insigne's corner was flicked on at the near post for Marco Verrati at the back post and his header was tipped onto the post and back out by Jordan Pickford but Bonucci was there to follow up and put the rebound into the back of the net.

Six minutes into extra-time, Shaw's corner was cleared out to Kalvin Phillips on the edge of the box and he chested the ball down before unleashing an effort that went just wide of the far post.

Shortly after half-time of extra-time, Bernadeschi struck a free-kick from 35 yards out sweetly straight down the middle and Pickford parried but gathered at the second attempt just in time before Jorginho could get there on the follow-up.

The sides could not be separated over 120 minutes and so the match went to a penalty shoot-out.

Pickford saved Italy's second from Andrea Belotti, but Gianluigi Donnaruma saved England's third from Marcus Rashford and fourth from Jadon Sancho but Pickford saved brilliantly to deny Jorginho.

It meant Bukayo Saka had to score to keep England in the game but Donnaruma guessed correctly to his left to make the save and break English hearts.

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