And so a 24-team tournament has been whittled down to a final two: Italy and England are the last ones standing at Euro 2020 after both featuring in epic semi-finals this midweek.
Italy were the first team to make it through to Sunday’s showpiece, beating Spain 4-2 on penalties following a riveting 120 minutes of action, before England joined them after eventually making their pressure count against Denmark in extra-time.
Sunday’s final will bring a curtain down on Euro 2020 and with it Uefa’s official fantasy football game that has kept fans busy from start to finish.
For the final matchday, managers are able to make up to five transfers to their 15 man squad and can have a maximum of eight players from one team.
There are two ways to approach the final on fantasy football: first is to go all-in on the team you expect to win. Fancy England to end 55 years of hurt or else Italy to spoil the homecoming party? Then back yourself and select eight players from one of them in your starting XI. Alternatively, you could adopt a more cautious approach and have a 6:5 split in the expectation that the final could be a cagey low-scoring, affair.
In a break from our usual fantasy football tips, here are three separate teams that you could assemble for matchday seven: one for an England win, another for an Italy victory and a third combining six players from one side with five from another.
Team one: England to win
If you’re all aboard the England bandwagon then this is the team for you.
Harry Kane (€11.7m) and Raheem Sterling (€9.8m) are the first names on the teamsheet. Of Kane’s 26 points so far, 20 of them have been scored in the knockout rounds after goals against Germany, Ukraine (2) and Denmark. Sterling, meanwhile, has been a model of consistency throughout, providing returns in six of his seven matches.
As for the rest, it makes sense to prioritise players capable of delivering attacking points. Of the remaining midfielders, Mason Mount (€7.3m) and Bukayo Saka (€6.6m) offer greater points potential than Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips. It could even be worth taking a punt on Jack Grealish (€7.9m), Phil Foden (€8m) or Jadon Sancho (€9.5m) to make an impact off the bench if you’re chasing mini-league rivals.
By the same logic, Luke Shaw (€6.3m), John Stones (€5.9m) and Harry Maguire (€5.7m) are more attractive fantasy options than Kyle Walker and Jordan Pickford (€5.9m) should accumulate save points. As for the remaining three spots, just pick the three best Italian players per position.
Full XI: Pickford (England); Stones (England), Maguire (England), Chiellini (Italy), Shaw (England); Mount (England), Insigne (Italy), Saka (England), Sterling (England); Kane (England), Immobile (Italy)
Team two: Italy to win
Alternatively, you could construct a side around the Italians.
The setup is the same: a goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and a forward, with England’s best fantasy football options – Luke Shaw in defence, Raheem Sterling in midfield and Harry Kane in attack – filling the three vacant slots.
Italy have shared the goals around more so than England with five of their players on two goals apiece, including two in Manuel Locatelli and Matteo Pessina, who are unlikely to start. Ciro Immobile (€10.2m), Lorenzo Insigne (€8.7m) and Federico Chiesa (€7.4m) are the three must-haves in midfield and attack. Of that trio, Chiesa is the most in-form and therefore, the best captaincy option.
Nicolo Barella (€7.5m) is a nailed-on option in midfield and is a decent option given he has a goal and two assists to his name in the tournament. In defence, Giorgio Chiellini (€6m) and Leonardo Bonucci (€5.7m) offer a threat from set-pieces, while Emerson Palmieri (€5.5m) impressed at left back after filling in for Leonardo Spinazzola last time out.
Full XI: Donnarumma (Italy); Bonucci (Italy), Chiellini (Italy), Emerson (Italy), Shaw (England); Insigne (Italy), Chiesa (Italy), Barella (Italy), Sterling (England); Immobile (Italy), Kane (England).
Team three: 6:5 split
Alternatively, you could just fill your squad with the best players from each team and hope for the best.
If you expect the final to be a low-scoring affair then go with a 5-3-2 or 5-4-1 formation and take a calculated gamble on racking up clean sheet points. But let’s face it, there’s no fun in that. Instead, we’ve cobbled together a combined XI packed full of attacking talent in the hope of a thriller.
All of the usual suspects in the aforementioned teams are mentioned, but if you are planning to go for it, there is an obvious wildcard slot in midfield or attack to use on a likely bench player. Andrea Belotti (€7.9m) is yet to score or provide an assist but has been brought on as a substitute in four of Italy’s six games and will likely be introduced at some point. Grealish is another exciting pick worth considering.
Full XI: Pickford (England), Shaw (England), Maguire (England), Emerson (Italy); Sterling (England), Mount (England), Chiesa (Italy), Insigne (Italy); Kane (England), Immobile (Italy), Belotti (Italy)
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