KATHMANDU: Here are some OPTA facts and numbers to consider as England prepares to face Italy in the UEFA EURO 2020 Final:
- As England prepare to face Italy at the UEFA EURO 2020 Final, see some OPTA facts and stats around the fixture:
● Italy has appeared in ten major tournament finals (six World Cups and four Euros), second only to Germany (14) among European nations. Italy won the European Championship in 1968, but has since lost both of their following final appearances (2000 and 2012).
● This will be England's first appearance in a European Championship final, and their first major event final since winning the World Cup in 1966. For any European nation, this is the longest interval between major finals (World Cup/EUROs) (55 years).
● Only three of the previous 12 nations to appear in a European Championship final (including Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic as one) have lost their first ever final: Yugoslavia (1960), Belgium (1980), and Portugal (2001). (2004).
● On two occasions, Italy has finished second in the European Championship, losing to France in 2000 and Spain in 2012. Only Germany and the Soviet Union (three apiece) have finished second in the tournament more times than Italy.
● England will play in the final of EURO 2020 while hosting the event, making it the eleventh time a European nation has competed in a major tournament final as hosts (World Cup/EUROs). At the 1966 World Cup, England accomplished the same, defeating Germany 4-2 at Wembley. Only one of the first eight European host nation finalists had lost their final prior to this (Portugal in 2004 and France in 2016); only one of the first eight had lost their final prior to this (Portugal in 2004 and France in 2016). (Sweden at the 1958 World Cup).
● Italy has never lost to England in a major competition (W3 D1), winning 1-0 in 1980, 2-1 in 1990 and 2014 World Cups, and drew 0-0 before winning on penalties in 2012.
● In all competitions, England has only won two of its last 14 games with Italy (D5 L7), 2-0 in June 1997 and 2-1 in August 2013, both in friendly matches. In fact, England had only won one of their eight competitive encounters with Italy (D2 L5), a 2-0 victory in a World Cup qualifier in November 1977.
● Wembley Stadium will host its third major championship final (EURO/World Cup). The previous two were both won in extra time, with England defeating Germany in the 1966 World Cup and Germany defeating the Czech Republic in the 1996 European Championship.
● In their last 33 matches across all competitions (W27 D6), Italy has scored 86 goals while conceding just 10. This is the team's longest unbeaten streak in the country's history.
● In all competitions, England has won 15 of their past 17 matches at Wembley Stadium (D1 L1), scoring 46 goals and conceding only five.
● England has gone undefeated in their previous 12 games across all competitions (W11 D1), keeping ten clean sheets and conceding only two goals. So far at EURO 2020, the Three Lions have only conceded one goal, with four of the past seven teams to concede just once in a European Championship tournament winning the trophy (Soviet Union 1960, Italy 1968, Germany 1972 and Spain 2012).
● England's 2-1 semi-final victory over Denmark was their eighth in a major tournament match (World Cup/EUROs) under Gareth Southgate, tying him with Alf Ramsey for the most victories by an England manager in both tournaments.
● More than any other team at EURO 2020, Italy has had 12 shots and scored three goals as a result of a high turnover (open play sequences commencing 40 meters or less from the opponent's goal line).
● England (2.2) and Italy (2.3) have faced the fewest attempts on target per game at EURO 2020 than any other team. England has also scored the fewest predicted goals against in the tournament so far (3.2).
● In his last 27 appearances for England in all competitions, Harry Kane has been directly involved in 28 goals (19 goals, nine assists). With one more goal, he will surpass Gary Lineker as England's all-time leading goalscorer in major events (World Cup/EUROs – 10).
● Raheem Sterling of England has tried and completed more take-ons at EURO 2020 than any other player. Seven of these have occurred in the opponent penalty area (tied for the most), one of which resulted in England's semi-final penalty against Denmark, which resulted in their winning goal.
● So far at EURO 2020, only Pierre-Emile Hjbjerg (15) has started more open play sequences resulting in a shot than Marco Verratti (nine). Furthermore, Verratti has generated more chances at EURO 2020 than just Kevin De Bruyne (13) has (12).
● Roberto Mancini of Italy will become only the second manager in history to win the English Premier League and then lead a European team in a major tournament final (World Cup/EUROs), following Alf Ramsey, who won the Premier League with Ipswich and the 1966 World Cup with England.
