Statman Dave's Italy vs England predictions
Content Editor at Free Super Tips, Alex was born in the shadow of Old Trafford and is an avid Man Utd fan. After graduating from university he combined his love of football, writing and betting to join FST and now closely follows goings-on in all of the top European leagues.
He’s back for one final time this summer. Statman Dave landed two of his Bet Builders in the quarter finals and was just a Thomas Delany booking away from landing his England vs Denmark predictions!
Can he sign off with a bang on Sunday? Let’s hope so because he’s backing football to come home!
Statman Dave’s Euro 2020 Final predictions
It’s rare to see the two best teams in a tournament both find their way to the final, but I think that has happened here.
Italy have moved the ball quicker and more accurately than any other team at the tournament while England have looked imperious at the back and their firepower up top has ensured that they are always capable of nicking games once the clean sheet has been secured. This is such a tantalizing final!
Alvaro Morata once described training against Giorgio Chiellini as “like being put in a cage with a gorilla and you have to steal his food”. That goes some way to describing how difficult it is for centre-forwards to play directly up against the great centre-back, but England don’t really engage in those direct battles and I think that could be key.
Harry Kane’s tendency to drop deep annoyed some at the start of the tournament, but now it’s really coming together. The England skipper is able to drop to create chances for third-man and out-to-in runs. This is exactly what Dani Olmo did in the semi-final and he caused Italy plenty of problems.
Kane has that elite false nine-style movement and he’s also able to finish efficiently. That could be the undoing of an Italian side who struggle without direct opponents.
Italy will have their chances – of course they will. They move the ball in a way reminiscent of a top-level club side.
Kalvin Phillips, who has pressured the ball more than any other player at the tournament, will look to cause havoc in that middle third as he did against Germany. If he can stop the Italians finding their rhythm in the centre of the park, I think England have enough to get past the final hurdle and win their first major honour since 1966.
Statman Dave’s best bet – England to win, Maguire and Sterling to take 2+ shots each and Marco Verratti to be booked.
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