England will be hosting Italy at Wembley Stadium in a crucial Euro 2024 qualifying match. A win for England will secure their qualification for the tournament and likely secure top spot in Group C, while a win for Italy will see them go joint top with England. Due to the importance of the match, it is expected that England manager Gareth Southgate will make drastic changes to the lineup.
In their previous match against Australia, England managed to secure a narrow 1-0 victory, but the performance was not convincing. Southgate fielded a heavily rotated lineup, giving opportunities to players like Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins, who have been in excellent form in the Premier League. However, for the match against Italy, Southgate is likely to revert back to his preferred starting lineup, which includes experienced players like Jordan Pickford, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford, and Harry Kane.
England’s recent tactics have been under scrutiny, particularly their lackluster attacking performance against Australia. They played a flat 4-3-3 formation in that match and lacked offensive fluidity. It is expected that Southgate will opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation against Italy, with Bellingham playing as an attacking midfielder. This change in tactics will give the team more of a progressive carrier.
To accommodate the new formation, a double pivot in midfield is likely to be played. Declan Rice is expected to start as one of the defensive midfielders, while the other spot could be filled by either Jordan Henderson or Kalvin Phillips. However, Henderson may be benched after being booed by the Wembley crowd in the previous match. Another alternative is to play Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, as Southgate has previously experimented with him in that position. However, after playing a full 90 minutes against Australia, Alexander-Arnold may be benched, making Phillips the likely pick.
In terms of injuries, Bukayo Saka remains unavailable for England, leaving the squad with a shortage of right-wingers. Most of England’s wingers prefer to play on the left, so one of Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, or James Maddison is likely to be selected to play on the opposite flank.
Based on these factors, the predicted lineup for England against Italy is as follows:
– Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford
– Left-back: Kieran Trippier
– Centre-backs: Harry Maguire and John Stones
– Right-back: Kyle Walker
– Defensive midfielders: Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips
– Left winger: Marcus Rashford
– Attacking midfielder: Jude Bellingham
– Right winger: Phil Foden
– Striker: Harry Kane
Overall, this is an important match for England as they aim to secure their qualification for Euro 2024 and maintain their position at the top of Group C. The predicted lineup reflects Southgate’s likely choices based on recent performances and the tactical adjustments that may be made.
