Euro 2020 Matchday 20 Semi Final Preview and Tips
Euro 2020 Matchday 20: Semi Final Preview
The tension and excitement is ramping up ahead of the Euro 2020 semi finals. In the quarters there was some thrilling tussles. Italy and Belgium was a cracking contest and Switzerland put it right up to Spain before bowing out on penalties. Denmark edged out the Czechs in a tight contest while England battered the Ukraine 4-0. The first semi final on Tuesday night sees two giants collide in Italy and Spain. It should be another barnstormer, check out our Euro 2020 Matchday 20 semi final preview below.
Italy v Spain
Match Odds: Italy 6/4; Draw 11/5; Spain 21/10.
Venue: Wembley, England.
Kick Off Time: 8.00 pm.
I feared Italy may have peaked too soon at Euro 2020 but boy, was I wrong. They were back to their brilliant best vs Belgium for the first 75 minutes before they reverted to type and wasted as much time as possible in the last 15 minutes. They won 2-1 eventually but the victory came at a heavy cost as they lost Spinazzola for the remainder of the tournament with an Achilles injury.
The Italians are the 6/4 favourites against a Spanish side who were lucky to progress vs Switzerland. They needed penalties to advance after a 1-1 draw and they played all of extra time and the last 13 minutes of normal time against 10 men. Spain may also be without Sarabia on Tuesday night after he suffered a muscle injury and they can be backed at 21/10. The draw is not beyond the realms of possibility tonight and that is priced up at 11/5.
Roberto Mancini’s Italy produced a marvellous performance vs Belgium. Barella and Insigne got the goals but it was a proper team effort. Donnarumma showed why he is the best ‘keeper in Europe right now and Chiellini and Bonucci barely gave Lukaku and co an inch. Verratti and Jorginho controlled the midfield and Barella, Chiesa and Insigne all had excellent games. The only negative was the below par display of Ciro Immobile. It would come as no surprise if Belotti takes his place in the side on Tuesday night.
Stuttering Spain
Against Croatia, Spain looked like a proper team for long periods. They dominated possession, created lots of chances and it was a minor miracle that the Croats took them to extra time. However, that certainly wasn’t the case last time vs Switzerland. Up until the Swiss red card, Spain were really struggling to impose themselves and Switzerland deserved their equaliser. Freuler’s red card changed the whole complexion of the game on 77 minutes. Spain still couldn’t score though and they had to rely on the Swiss losing their bottle in the penalty shootout.
So who will win the crucial battle for possession tonight? Both sides like to keep the ball for long periods so it will come down to who is best at winning it back. Italy’s counter pressing has been excellent so far but they have lost a key component of their system in Spinazzola. Spain have been very impressive at times when they have the ball but they have also lost concentration at the back on more than one occasion and Italy have the ability to punish any sloppy mistakes. Spinazzola is undeniably a big loss for Italy but I still believe they’ll have too much for Spain.
Federico Chiesa has really impressed me in his last couple of matches. He got the crucial first goal vs Austria and he was always a threat against Belgium too. He has pace, trickery and he is not afraid to have a shot on goal. Chiesa should retain his place in the starting lineup for this game and I think he could nick another goal. I am backing Italy to win and Chiesa to score anytime at odds of 6/1.
