The final of the European Cup will be played between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium, London on Sunday (July 11). (More Football News)
Italy’s 4-2 win on penalties against three-time European champions Spain in the semi-final, meant that Azzurri are now in their fourth European Championship final.
Prior to this, the Italy national football team had reached the European Championship final in 1968, 2000 and 2012. And Italy's only title win in the European Cup came in 1968, when they had beaten Yugoslavia over two matches.
England, on other hand, beat Denmark 2-1 after extra time to qualify for the final for the first time. England have to wait for 55 years to enter the final of a major tournament.
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Since winning the World Cup in 1966, England have reached the knockout stages of official tournaments 14 times out of a possible 28 - a 50% success rate.
Spain (1964), Italy (1968) and France (1984) all won the EURO final as host nations, but the hosts have also lost the decider on two occasions, with Portugal (2004) and France (2016) upstaged on home soil.
This is Italy’s 10th major final (six World Cups and four European Cups), Only Germany (14) having played in more among European nations.
This will be England's first-ever appearance in a Euro final and their first in the final of a major tournament since winning the 1966 World Cup- the longest gap (55 years) between major finals (World Cup or Euros) for any European nation.
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Italy have never lost against England at a major tournament (winning three and drawing one).
The Azzurri won 1-0 at Euro 1980, 2-1 at both the 1990 and 2014 World Cups and won 4-2 on penalties at Euro 2012 after a goalless draw.
Italy are unbeaten in their last 33 matches in all competitions (won 27, draw 6), scoring 86 goals and conceding 10 during the run. This is their longest unbeaten stretch of matches.
England have won 15 of their last 17 matches at Wembley (draw one, lost one) scoring 46 goals and conceding five in that run.
They are unbeaten in their last 12 matches in all competitions (won 11, draw 1).
No team has won two penalty shootouts at the same European tournament.
HEAD TO HEAD
Overall matches: 27
Italy won: 11
England won: 8
Drawn: 8
Last five matches
Italy won: 2
England won: 1
Drawn: 2
Meetings in European Championship
Italy 0-1 England in 1980 at Turin;
Italy 0-0 England in 2012 at Kyiv. Italy won on penalties 4-2.
Before they have met only twice in the European Championship
