Italy vs Spain live on July 6, 2021: Will the Azzurri beat La Furia Roja to Euro 2020 Wembley final?

July 5, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, Italy, Spain, UEFA Euro 2020

Two European giants will locks horns in the first semi-final of the ongoing European Championship. Will Italy or Spain win this highly-rated fixture? Here's a preview of Tuesday's game.

Preview

The Euro 2020 semi-finals are upon us, with Italy and Spain set to kick off the penultimate stage with their highly-anticipated showdown this midweek. The famous Wembley Stadium will stage this 3 p.m. ET spectacle as two of the tournament's favorites go head to head for a spot in the July 11 final.

The Azzurri have been one of the most impressive sides in the tournament, hence the excitement for their showdown with the 2012 and 2008 European champions. Roberto Mancini's men finished the group stage with a perfect winning and defensive record, having beaten Turkey, Switzerland, and Wales to pick up the maximum points while failing to concede a single goal.

As a result of this strong showing, the four-time World Cup champions earned a favorable draw for the round of 16, getting Austria. While Alaba and Co. made the Italian sweat throughout the 90 minutes, neither side found the breakthrough, resulting in extra time. While the Austrians managed to grab a goal in the added 30 minutes, it turned out to be nothing but a consolation as Insigne and Co. asserted their superiority, winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Chiesa and Pessina.

Despite the promising display, criticisms were raised against the Azzurri, with many accusing the continental heavyweights of dominating inferior teams. While the first four teams they faced are capable nations within their own rights, none would describe them as a giant of the international scene. However, the naysayers were silenced when Mancini's outfit faced Belgium, FIFA's no.1 ranked nation in the world, in the quarter-finals.

A stellar first-half performance saw the Euro 2020 semi-finalists take a 2-0 lead, with stellar goals from Barella and Insigne handing the Italians the advantage. A Romelu Lukaku penalty on the brink of half time slashed that advantage, but the center-back partnership of Chiellini and Bonnuci showed their class and held on to this lead, with the injury to Leonardo Spinazzola being the only negative.

Will victory over Belgium mean La Nazionale are guaranteed to beat the Spanish? This is uncertain as La Furia Roja entered this tournament as one of the favorites, with their 5-3 victory over Croatia in the round of 16 underlining that they are a team to be feared. However, Spain's ride to the semis was not as straightforward as Italy's.

Despite being grouped with Sweden, Poland, and Slovakia, Luis Enrique's side only managed to secure progression in the final round, having drawn their opening two games. Morata and Co. were forced to settle with a second-placed finish, hence their showdown with the 2018 World Cup runners-up. The 5-3 triumph was a huge but hectic triumph for Spain, with their quarter-final showdown with Switzerland, which was decided on penalties, being more worrisome. Regardless, the 2010 World Cup winners are only 90 minutes away from the final and a shot at winning their fourth European Championship crown.

Team news

Italy: Spinazzola's Achilles tendon injury dampened the mood after the 2-1 win over Belgium, with that heartbreaking knock not only ending the Roma ace's tournament, but also sentencing him to a lengthy spell on the sidelines. In his place, Emerson or Florenzi could step in. Locatelli, despite shining in the first two group-stage fixtures, is likely to remain on the bench due to Verratti's stellar return to the lineup. Ciro Immobile came off in the quarter-finals but appears fine to start against Spain.

Spain: Pablo Sarabia picked up a muscular injury and will likely sit this fixture out, with the young and highly-rated Dani Olmo set to return to the lineup in his place. Laporte, who trained separately over the weekend, should be fine for this fixture while fellow Man City man Ferran Torres is expected to retain his starting XI position.

Key stats

Italy have managed only one win in their last eight encounters with Spain.
However, when these two sides last met in the European Championship (Euro 2016), the Azzurri emerged triumphant.
La Furia Roja boast the superior head-to-head record, having picked up 12 victories to Italy's nine in their 33 run-ins (D12).
However, La Nazionale are ahead in the head-to-head record in major international tournaments (European Championship and FIFA World Cup), winning four of their nine encounters (D4, L1).
Roberto Mancini's side are on a 32-match unbeaten run, which is a record for the four-time World Cup champions.