sport news Euro 2020: Lowdown on ahead of final against England at Wembley

sport news Euro 2020: Lowdown on ahead of final against England at Wembley
sport news Euro 2020: Lowdown on Italy ahead of final against England at Wembley

Fratelli d'Italia, Italia s'e desta are the opening two lines of the Italian national anthem. In English they're translated as 'Brothers of Italy, Italy has woken'.

The second line certainly applies to the Italian football team as they have awoken from their slumber and are in the final of Euro 2020 where they'll face England at Wembley on Sunday night.

We all know about England but what about their opponents? Sportsmail provides the lowdown on the Azzurri.

Italy are through to the Euro 2020 final on Sunday as their international resurgence continues

Italy are through to the Euro 2020 final on Sunday as their international resurgence continues 

WHERE ARE THEY STRONG?

Let's start with catenaccio - the Italian philosophy for a strong emphasis on defence. No matter the era this remains a principle of Italian football and that remains the case here.

Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci have seemingly been around forever but Father Time hasn't caught up with them. The centre-back pairing have a combined age of 70 (Chiellini is 36 and Bonucci 34) and their experience has been telling throughout the tournament.

The pair are the rocks of manager Roberto Mancini's defence and have been excellent in the quarter-final and semi-final wins over Belgium and Spain respectively.

Centre-back duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci have been outstanding in defence

Centre-back duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci have been outstanding in defence

In goal, Italy have the 6ft 5in towering presence of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma

In goal, Italy have the 6ft 5in towering presence of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma

Captain Chiellini's performances are more the remarkable when you consider that he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the beginning of last season but that doesn't looked to have diminished any of his qualities.

Behind those two is one of the world's best goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite being just 22 years old, he has 32 caps already for his country - making his debut as a 17-year-old in September 2016. At 6ft 5in he is a towering presence and one that Harry Kane and Co will find difficult to beat on Sunday.

Further up the pitch, Italy's midfield has been purring all tournament. Jorginho has started every game at the base of it, while Nicolo Barella and Marco Verratti have been the main two alongside him in a midfield three. The trio ooze technical ability in abundance and this is an area where they outshine England ahead of Sunday's showpiece.

Marco Verratti (centre) is part of Italy's technical midfield three and will cause England issues

Marco Verratti (centre) is part of Italy's technical midfield three and will cause England issues

ANY WEAKNESSES?

It's hard to criticise Italy when they have been so impressive but one area you could is in attack - and mainly at centre-forward.

Despite scoring 12 goals in six matches as a team, centre forwards Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti have failed to put the tournament on blast. Immobile has two goals in five appearances, while Belotti is yet to score in as many matches.

The goals have been spread around with wide men Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Chiesa having scored two apiece as well as midfielders Manuel Locatelli and Matteo Pessina. Barella has one, while Turkey centre back Merih Demiral put through his own net against them in the tournament's curtain-raiser.

If there may be another cause of concern for the Italians it could be at left back. Leonardo Spinazzola has been outstanding there but suffered an achilles injury during their win over Belgium in the quarter-finals. Emerson Palmieri started against Spain but the Chelsea man is third-choice at his club and could face a difficult evening against the likes of Raheem Sterling and Co come Sunday. 

Andrea Belotti (left) has failed to score in any of the five Euro 2020 games he has featured in

Andrea Belotti (left) has failed to score in any of the five Euro 2020 games he has featured in

STAR MEN

Up until his injury, Italy's star performer had been Spinazzola - who had been astute in defence and swashbuckling in attack.

While Donnarumma, Chiellini and Bonucci need no introduction, the impact of Jorginho, Barella and Insigne has been pivotal to the Italians' success and will be once more if they are to emerge victorious at the weekend.

In Jorginho they have their midfield

read more from dailymail.....

NEXT Goal of the year contender and 15-year-old rising star combine to hand City the ...