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Marco Verratti believes Sunday’s Euro 2020 final between Italy and England will be decided by which team best withstands the pressure of a “historic” match.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has been around for the Azzurri since their victory over Wales in the third game of the group stage, fearing he will miss the tournament with a knee injury. Italy are undefeated in 33 appearances and have never lost to England in a major tournament, and the 28-year-old has said the final at Wembley will go in the direction of the team that keeps their blood -cold.
“These games are here to be grabbed – we have to win,” Verratti said. “They want to win clearly because they play at home and have never won a European Championship so the details will decide. We have to focus on our style of play and put everything else aside. These matches. can put a lot of pressure on you and I think the team that plays with a free spirit will gain the upper hand.
Italy’s generally dominant midfielder struggled at times in their semi-final against Spain before the team won on penalties. But Verratti looked confident when asked if his partnership with Chelsea’s Jorginho and Internazionale’s Nicolò Barella could give them the edge over England’s Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips.
“I think the two matches will be very different,” he said. “Yes, the midfielder is a key area and maybe we can make a difference there. We have to keep a high pace of play but we know they play with two central midfielders which make the team very balanced.
“It allows them to play with almost four forwards, so they’re very strong. England did a great job; they arrived in the final for the first time and that says a lot. It’s a very solid and balanced team. I’m happy that we’re playing them in a big stadium – that’s the dream you have as a kid. I think it’s going to be an epic, historic finale anyway. “
Verratti made his debut for Italy in a friendly 2-1 loss to England in August 2012 and started the victory over England in Manaus in the 2014 World Cup. This is his first tournament. since missing Euro 2016 due to injury and the team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup under the guidance of Gian Piero Ventura. He became a mainstay of Roberto Mancini’s midfielder and paid tribute to the former Manchester City manager for transforming the fortunes of the national team.
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“Mancini has done a huge job with us – everyone can see it,” he said. “He’s a very special manager for us because he boosted our confidence when we had bad results. He was the perfect man for the job because he brought our enthusiasm back to life. haven’t lost in 33 matches and that tells you he’s doing a great job.
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