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England and Italy combined XI: Kane, Sterling, Verratti, Bonucci...

England will face Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley on Sunday and Planet Sport takes a look at the ultimate combined XI featuring the star names from the two finalists.

On Wednesday evening, England made history as they reached the final of a major tournament for the first time in 55 years.

For opponents Italy, it will be their 10th major tournament final and fourth at the European Championships.

For England, it is only their second major tournament final and their first at the Euros.
Both teams are full of talented players who can guide their side to victory, with Italy having not won the Euros since 1968 and England having never won the competition at all.

Ahead of this eagerly anticipated match-up at Wembley, Planet Sport combines both teams to make the ultimate Euros final XI.

Formation: 4-3-3

Jordan Pickford

How could it be anyone else?!

Gianluigi Donnarumma has been one of the best players for Italy in this tournament and saved Alvaro Morata's penalty to help Italy extend their unbeaten run to 33 games. However, Jordan Pickford has kept five clean sheets during the European Championships, only conceding once - and that was a blistering free-kick.

The Everton keeper's selection was mired in controversy before the tournament after some poor performances for the Toffees in the Premier League. Despite this, Pickford set a new record for an England goalkeeper for most minutes without conceding - 725 - overtaking Gordon Banks' 720 minutes set between May and July 1966.

He has therefore vindicated Southgate's faith, putting in some stellar performances while also being a commanding presence between the sticks.

England are 13/10 to keep a clean sheet against Italy.

Kyle Walker

In the semi-final against Denmark, Kyle Walker was one of England's best players.

After Southgate initially chose four right-backs for his 26-man squad, there was serious competition for places, but Walker has made himself indispensable.
He may not have been particularly successful going forward, but he has been integral to England keeping five clean sheets and still not conceding from open play.

Harry Maguire

Coming into the tournament, Harry Maguire was a potential injury doubt for England, but fans will be delighted that he found his fitness as he has been a commanding figure for his side.

Known affectionately as 'Slabhead', Maguire is a threat on set pieces and looks dangerous every time he enters the opposition's penalty area. His one goal at the tournament was a header just minutes into the second half against Ukraine and he is 11/1 to score in the final.

Another thing he brings to the side is his confidence on the ball. He is well-known for running the ball out of defence and helping England hit teams on the counter-attack. This confidence makes him a more well-rounded player and thus more valuable to the team too.

Leonardo Bonucci

Leonardo Bonucci has been a mainstay in the Italian defence throughout, playing in all six matches and helping his side achieve three clean sheets. Italy are 6/4 to keep a fourth clean sheet against England.

He is a former midfielder, which means he is good on the ball and technically gifted, despite being a centre-back.

Bonucci has played over 100 times for his country, forming a strong partnership with Juventus team-mate Giorgio Chiellini.

As well as being strong defensively, Bonucci is also known for his excellent leadership qualities.

Luke Shaw

Shaw did not play in England's opening game of the tournament but has played every game since.

He is always looking for an overlap and is confident enough in his own ability to take players on and try and create chances.

He showed his attacking qualities in England's quarter-final against Ukraine when he got two second half assists inside five minutes.

Defensively he has been just as impressive for England, tallying eight tackles and five clearances, all of which have been invaluable in his country reaching their first final in 55 years.

Jorginho

Jorginho has played in every game for Italy at Euro 2020, amassing 585 minutes on the pitch. The deep-lying playmaker, known as a regista to Italians, may have only played 34 games for his country, but he has now established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

It was his calm and confident penalty that saw Italy beat Spain to reach the final.

Some pundits are calling for Jorginho to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or and after his performances at these championships, you can see why. He is assured in possession and rarely gives the ball away; at the Euros he has a passing accuracy of 93%.

He has been a valued player for manager Roberto Mancini and this level of consistency is why he is included in our best XI.

Marco Verratti

Italy's main playmaker, Verratti is the creative spark of the team and has provided two assists from his four appearances at Euro 2020.

According to UEFA's player ranking system, Verratti has been the fourth best player at the championships. This is testament to the journey he has been on to get back to full fitness after having a testing 2020/21 season for PSG.

On his day, one of the best midfielders in the world.

Jack Grealish

Up next is one of England's best players, Jack Grealish. There has been an outcrying in England to see Grealish start every game and his stats don't lie. In his four games at the tournament, he has registered two assists and, if his team-mates had been more clinical, the number would have been a lot higher.

Grealish plays with fire and is constantly looking to take the ball forward and to create opportunities for either himself or his team-mates.

Just like in the Premier League, he has won a number of free-kicks for England, which shows that opponents know just how dangerous he can be.

Despite not starting, Grealish has never complained and understands what his manager wants from him, becoming something of a super sub whenever he is introduced into the action.

However, in this team, his talent cannot be overlooked and so he has to start.

Raheem Sterling

Sterling has arguably been England's best player at Euro 2020.

After some poor form by his standards for Manchester City, many were surprised by Southgate's decision to start Sterling in the first game against Croatia.

Throughout the tournament, Sterling has shown why the manager selected him and has proven people wrong. He has played in all six matches and has scored three times, as well as contributing an assist. He is 13/2 to score the opening goal against Italy.

He has scored multiple game-winning goals and until the quarter-final against Ukraine was England's top scorer at the tournament. He made the crucial run into the box to win England what turned out to be the winning penalty against Denmark and showed against the Danes why he is one of England's best players.

Lorenzo Insigne

On the other wing, we find Italian Lorenzo Insigne - quick-footed and skilful, he causes havoc whoever he comes up against.

He has played in five games at Euro 2020, scoring twice. He is 35/1 to double his tally with a brace on Sunday.

He has had 14 attempts, six of which have been on target, showing his dangerous intent. He is also very quick, notching up a top speed of 30.8km/h in the competition. In Italy's quarter-final against Belgium, Insigne scored one of the goals of the tournament - a curling right-footed effort from outside of the box.

Harry Kane

In a team full of quality, there is only one man that should be leading the attack and that is England's Harry Kane.

Kane is a goal machine and now holds the record for most goals scored by an Englishman at a major tournament (10) with Gary Lineker.

By his high standards, Kane started the tournament slowly and there were calls from some fans for him to be benched.

However, like every good player, he has shown that form is temporary, but class is permanent. In his last three games, he has scored four times, including the winning goal against Denmark after seeing his initial penalty saved.

Kane is 15/4 to be first goalscorer and 17/10 to be anytime goalscorer with Planet Sport Bet.

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