Euro 2012 Quarterfinals Preview: England vs Italy Predictions
England squares off against Italy in the knockout stage on June 24 at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium.
England Preview
After a controversial 1-0 win against Ukraine on the 19th, England heads off to join the Quarterfinals squaring off against Italy. The English did fairly well during the qualifying stage with 5 wins and 3 draws. They finished the Group stage at the top of Group D with an overall score of 7 followed by France with a score of 4. Now, with Wayne Rooney back in action from a two game suspension, the Three Lions look ready for battle.
The seemingly smooth ride to the Quarters is not all it seemed. England had just lost the midfield duo, Gareth Barry whose cover had always been a valuable asset to the team’s defense and Frank Lampard with his goal making skills to injuries. England’s already less than satisfactory offense may have been weakened further. Wayne Rooney may have scored the winning goal against Ukraine on the closing Group match, but that was all it was, one point. He looked a bit rusty on the field during that last match. Their defense may need a little bit of fine tuning against the strong Italian offensive as well.
Italy Preview
The Group C Runners-Up and four time World Cup winners, Italy has been one of the favorites to win the Delauney Cup next to Spain of course. Their brilliance in attack has taken them to heights in tournaments that most teams aren’t capable of reaching. Although of course their performance and aggressive nature was less then apparent during the Group stage finishing second to the top which is Spain with a score of 5, Spain finished with 7, the Italians are still, by far, a strong team. CesarePrandelli isn’t just another good coach, he is known as an excellent tactician moving Italy forward despite constant problems.
One problem the Italians are facing is the fact that they don’t have enough top players that guarantee a top-level performance and rely almost solely on Prandelli’s intuition. Prandelli too often, prefers unusual formations but one man’s choice cannot always be suitable to seal a win against the opposing team.
England vs Italy Predictions: Italy wins 2-1
The win for this upcoming match has to be more inclined to Italy. The Italians have used brilliant attack formations that have guaranteed victory and although England has excellent defense, the Italians have a good chance of exploiting whatever chink they may have in their armor.
Euro 2012 Quarterfinals Preview: England vs Italy Predictions
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Euro 2012 Quarterfinals Preview: Spain vs France Predictions
The Spaniards take on the French on the 23rd at the Donbask Arena in Donetsk
Spain Preview
The “Red Fury” topped Group C as expected with a score of 7 after two wins against the Republic of Ireland and Croatia and a draw with Italy. The defending champions barely won against Croatia with a late goal but thrashed the Irish 4-0. It was Italy that gave them a run for their money as always ending the match in a draw. Currently Spain looks solid and are expected to bring their aggressive brand of football into the Quarter-finals against France whose 23 unbeaten matches in a row, only to be ended by Sweden, goes to show that the French should not be taken lightly.
But the Spaniards are yet to be tested and the nonappearance of main striker David Villa and defender Carlos Puyol can put the team in a compromising situation. A waning defense was already apparent during the game against the Croatians.
France Preview
Group D Runners-up, France, would have conceived a better score than their final 4 had not the Swedes ended their match in a shocker with France losing 2-0. This ended their 23 unbeaten match record. Nevertheless, France made it to the Quarter-finals face to face with the best team in the tournament. This may seem unfair, even for a team that is considered one of the major contenders for the Delauny Trophy.The French need to pick up pace and tidy up their already impeccable attack skills. This can thoroughly compromise the Spanish defense lead to a great upset. In other words, they really need to work hard to achieve the unlikely.
Spain vs France Predictions: Spain wins 1-0
It’s either the Spanish look too strong or the French seem a little weaker. Being easily overpowered by Sweden, a team that finished at the bottom of the Group, proved that the French may have consistency issues. Their poor performance during the closer points to a weakening defense and a faltering attack.
Euro 2012 Quarterfinals Preview: Spain vs France Predictions
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Euro 2012 Quarter Final Previews and Predictions
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