England U20 goes against Italy U20 for their knockout stage with aims of getting closer to the title they lost. England won the title during the 2017 edition, but have failed to defend it for the 2019 season. Italy on the other hand is aiming to advance to the next round for a chance to finally clinch the title. Since England were able to be at the top spot of Group E, they were able to secure a spot in the knockout stage. Meanwhile, Italy secured a spot in this round after finishing at the second of Group D, behind Brazil. These two teams have met each other for five times already, and England is the one who recorded more wins. This meeting will be on June 1, 2023, at 5:00 AM (GMT+8).
England U20
England are coming into this match after a dominant group stage with seven points. Additionally, England have yet to lose against Italy in this category. They were able to score four goals, and conceded twice on their group stage. From their five matches, England were able to record three wins, and two draws against Italy. However, despite that record, England cannot be overly confident in this match, as Italy is a tough opponent. If they are aiming to reclaim the title they lost in 2019, they need to focus on how they can defeat a powerful Italian squad. Fortunately for England, they have several guys whom they could count on when it comes to scoring. Dane Scarlett, Bashir Humphreys, Alfie Device, and Darko Gyabi, who all scored one goals each are expected to produce for England.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy, and Callum Doyle are both a doubt for this match, as both suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Luton Town. This is also the case for Aaron Ramsey, who also had a heartbreaking match in their domestic league. Alex Scott on the other hand is returning for England which gave them an additional power.
Italy U20
Italy on the other hand is a team who is hungry for a title coming into this edition of the World Cup. They have yet to win a title in the contest, which is their main agenda in this edition. The best finish in the contest is when they got the bronze medal during the 2017 edition. Aside from not getting any title yet in the contest, Italy are also without any finals appearance in the contest. However, they are a completely different team this season, especially their attacks. They can no longer afford to record another heartbreaking loss against England this season alone. During the 2022 European U19 Championship, Italy were not able to win against England, suffering a 2-1 loss. They will need to rely on Casadei, Matteo Prati, and Giuseppe Ambrosino who are all impressive for Italy.
In this crucial match, it is unfortunate that they will be without Daniele Ghilardi, who will serve a one-game suspension due to his second booking. He is expected to be replaced by Alessandro Fontanarosa in the backline.
Prediction:
England U20 (2.5)
Odds: 0.91
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