How England can take revenge on Italy in Fifa U20 World Cup semi-final

Marching on: 10-man England celebrate after beating Mexico in the last eight
Kim Doo-Ho/AFP/Getty Images
George Elek6 June 2017

England will have the opportunity to put old demons to rest when they face Italy in their Fifa U20 World Cup semi-final on Thursday.

Last summer, when this group of players competed in the under-19 age bracket of the European Championships, England were knocked out in the semi-final by the Azzurri. Much of the personnel in the two teams remain the same, with six of England’s starters in last year’s defeat lining-up in the quarter-final win against Mexico.

The 2-1 loss to Italy last year was unexpected, after Aidy Boothroyd’s team had won all three of their group games, and they were undone by a penalty and a free-kick through set-piece specialist Federico Dimarco.

The young Inter Milan left-back has been the hero again for Italy in this year’s competition, scoring an 88th-minute equaliser against Zambia to send the tie into extra-time. Again, unsurprisingly, the goal came from an expertly executed left-footed free-kick.

Should England right the wrongs of last year, they will have to maintain their discipline, being careful not to give Dimarco the chance to punish them with the dead ball.

Josh Onomah was unlucky to be sent off against Mexico, but manager Paul Simpson will have to ensure that England’s enthusiasm does not result in their undoing for the second summer in a row.

On the ball, England could well look for a tactical shift. Last year’s game saw them dominate possession against Italy, a trait of their play that has continued into this tournament. Italy were able to soak up this pressure successfully, with just four of England’s 21 shots finding the target.

Simpson is blessed to have a number of players who are effective at driving with the ball from deep areas. Lewis Cook’s central runs have been a key strength of England’s play this summer, while Ademola Lookman, Kieran Dowell and Dominic Solanke can also boast this skill.

This is an immensely talented group of players, who now have a huge opportunity to turn their promise into silverware. The next test is one that they failed last summer but, with many of the questions posed remaining the same, there has to be optimism that the Young Lions can book their place in this weekend’s Final.

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