THE wait is almost over… tonight is the night England can finally end 55 years of hurt.
The nation will come to a standstill this evening when Gareth Southgate and his heroes take on Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
England have the home advantage and with 60,000-plus supporters inside Wembley, it could prove decisive in what is expected to be a nail-biting contest.
Italy will undoubtedly be England’s toughest test so far and head into the contest undefeated in their last 33 matches.
Here’s SunSport’s ultimate guide for tonight’s super showdown.
WHEN IS IT?
For those living under a rock, the match will kick-off at 8pm on Sunday evening.
Wembley will host the contest and it will be shown live on both BBC One and ITV.
Coverage starts at 18:20 on BBC and 18:30 on ITV.
HOW ENGLAND AND ITALY GOT HERE
England topped their group with victories over Croatia and Czech Republic while also drawing 0-0 with Scotland.
The Three Lions breezed past Germany with an impressive 2-0 victory before thrashing Ukraine 4-0 in the quarter-final.
An extra-time win over Denmark ensured England’s spot in the final.
Italy were faultless in Group A, beating both Turkey and Switzerland 3-0.
Roberto Mancini’s men ensured top spot with a 1-0 win over Wales before beating Austria 2-1 AET in the Round of 16.
A quarter-final victory over Belgium saw them face Spain where they triumphed on penalties.
WHAT THE EXPERTS THINK
SunSport columnist Jose Mourinho believes Wembley could prove decisive in what is expected to be an extremely tight contest.
The Roma gaffer also suggests it is England’s destiny to win the final and end the 55-year wait for a major trophy.
Michael Owen predicts England to win in extra-time while Jamie Carragher says it will go to penalties.
Alan Shearer and Dimitar Berbatov have also backed England as narrow winners.
And no one is more confident of an England win than Rio Ferdinand.
But Antonio Conte and Fabio Capello have stayed loyal to their roots by backing Italy to come out victorious.
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55 YEARS OF HURT
You have to go back to 1966 for the last time England lifted a major trophy – or even made a final.
The 4-2 World Cup victory over West Germany went down in history and Gareth Southgate’s youngsters can make themselves heroes tonight.
The closest England have come to winning the Euros was in 1996 when they crashed out in the semis on penalties to the Germans – with Southgate missing his spot-kick.
They came third in 1968, were knocked out of the group stages on four occasions, reached the quarters twice, and were knocked out of the Round of 16 five years ago.
England’s record in the World Cup usually also ends in disappointment.
Since lifting the Jules Rimet trophy, England have only reached the semi-finals on two occasions including in 2018 when they came unstuck to Croatia.
They have reached four quarter-finals and the Round of 16 twice. Best to forget the group stage disappointment in 2014…
A NATION STANDS STILL
England have the hopes of the entire nations on their shoulders this evening.
The semi-final win was watched by 25.8million on ITV and that figure is expected to be significantly higher on Sunday.
Hopes are high that the final will break the record 32.3m that tuned in for England’s historic 1966 World Cup win.
An England win will undoubtedly spark wild celebrations across the country.
After beating Denmark, fans partied on mass in the streets with pictures emerging of supporters climbing on buses.
And just in case you needed anything else to cheer, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also hinting at a potential Bank Holiday if Southgate’s men can get over the line.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
