Heavyweights Belgium (BEL) and Italy (ITA) square off against each other in arguably the marquee clash of the Euro 2020 quarter-finals. The Red Devils haven’t reached the semi-finals of the continental competition in more than 40 years, while Roberto Mancini’s men suffered a quarter-final exit in the previous edition. In Euro 2020, both teams won all their matches, scored seven goals in the group stage, and kept three clean sheets so far.
Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard will undergo a late fitness test on Friday. The duo went off injured against Portugal in the round of 16 fixture. Dries Mertens, who grabbed an assist against Russia, and Atletico Madrid’s Yannick Carrasco could replace De Bruyne and Hazard in the eleven. The back three, led by Jan Vertonghen, were brilliant against Portugal but will face a difficult challenge against the Azzurri trio of Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, and Domenico Berardi. Midfield pair Youri Tielemans and Axel Witsel, too, will hope to outperform their Italian counterparts.
After missing the last two matches, Giorgio Chiellini returns to the squad and will lead his side in the quarter-final clash. The 36-year-old and Leonardo Bonucci were at the heart of the backline in the 0-2 win over Belgium in the last meeting between both sides. Left-back Leonardo Spinazzola is one of the key players in Italy’s attacking unit. He assisted Federico Chiesa’s extra-time goal against Austria, registering his second assist of the tournament. Meanwhile, Jorginho and Marco Verratti will be keen to win the midfield battle and help the front three in their efforts to frustrate the Belgian backline.
Head-to-Head
Played: 22
BEL won: 4
ITA won: 14
Drawn: 4
Top Five Fantasy Points scorers (Round of 16)
BEL: T Hazard (15.5 pts), T Meunier (13 pts), T Courtois (10 pts), J Vertonghen (10 pts), T Vermaelen (8 pts)
ITA: F Chiesa (11 pts), M Pessina (10.5), F Acerbi (10.5 pts), L Spinazzola (8.5 pts), M Verratti (8.5 pts)
Euro 2020 Stats
Top Goalscorer: BEL – R Lukaku (3 goals); ITA – C Immobile, M Pessina, M Locatelli (2 goals)
Most Assists: BEL – K De Bruyne, T Meunier (2 assists); ITA – D Berardi, L Spinazzola (2 assists)
Most Passes Completed: BEL – J Vertonghen (227 passes); ITA – Jorginho (297 passes)
Most Successful Tackles: BEL – T Meunier (3 tackles); ITA – M Locatelli (4 tackles)
Shots Saved: BEL – T Courtois (12 saves) ITA – G Donnarumma (4 saves)
Injuries/Suspensions
BEL: E Hazard (doubtful), K De Bruyne (doubtful)
ITA: none
Playing 11
BEL (possible): T Courtois; T Alderweireld, T Vermaelen, J Vertonghen; T Hazard, A Witsel, Y Tielemans, T Meunier; D Mertens, R Lukaku, Y Carrasco
ITA (possible): G Donnarumma; G Di Lorenzo, L Bonucci, G Chiellini, L Spinazzola; N Barella, Jorginho, M Verratti; F Chiesa, C Immobile, L Insigne
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Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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