Italy – England

England must take risks against Italy

Friday, 23 September, is the defining match for the grandees in the Nations League. The England team will face Italy away. Surprisingly, Gareth Southgate's side occupy last place in the group. The Three Lions team lost two games to Hungary with a combined score of 0-5. There were also two draws with Italy and Germany. It is very likely that England had a common problem for a grandee - a lack of motivation after a busy season. Southgate, meanwhile, found himself in a difficult position. If England lose two more matches in the Nations League, the coach may also be changed. A six-game unbeaten run even in an unimportant tournament is a historic embarrassment for the English. The Three Lions' squad is still in the top five in the world in terms of quality. Southgate has a very deep squad of players at his disposal. The coach has taken the liberty of not calling up Sancho. At the same time, rookie forward Tooney has been invited to the national team. In defence, Southgate decided to dispense with a revolution. Maguire, despite his lack of a place at Man Utd, got the call-up. Italy were a pleasant exception in the matches of the summer stage of the Nations League. The team played far from their core squad. Roberto Mancini decided on a clever move. The coach rested almost all the leaders. As a result, the youth squad, featuring players from deep reserves, performed at a very respectable level and secured five points. Italy lost only to the German team's away base. Hungary were victorious, with the other two games ending in draws. Mancini has now called upon the main stars, who formed the backbone at the European Championships. The main difficulty for Italy remains the position of the centre-forward. Immobile in the national team does not play at the level to which Serie A have become accustomed. Second goalscorer Belotti has not been called up for the national team at all. There could be problems with goals again, although the squad is deep in attack. The match should be a matter of principle. Despite not being taken very seriously in the Nations League, both teams have realistic goals. It is important for England to avoid the disgrace of relegation. Italy, for the first time in six months, have assembled the backbone. Besides, there is still a chance of reaching the final four and fighting for the title. England will not be satisfied with an away draw. Southgate's team must take risks. In addition, the coach is expected to put more emphasis on attack. In four games in the Nations League, England have failed to score a single goal from the field. The time for cautious football is over for Southgate. Italy, too, are not set up for a peaceful outcome. The bookmakers, on the other hand, are giving cautious odds on the top match. This is worth taking advantage of.