The two big football tournaments of the summer have reached the endgame. Both the Euro 2020 and Copa America 2021 competitions are down to the final two teams and Brazil and Argentina as well as Italy and England will contest the two finals this Sunday.
The Copa America will also see a third-place match contested between losing semi-finalists Peru and Colombia in the early hours of Saturday. 24-hours later, at 1am on Sunday morning UK time, Brazil will take on Argentina in the final that everybody wanted to see between the two giants of South American football.
Then later that day, Italy and England will take to the field at Wembley Stadium at just before 8pm UK time to contest the Euro 2020 Final. This also promises to be a hugely exciting final as Roberto Mancini’s Italy side go into the game on the back of a 34-game unbeaten run, a national team record, while their opponents England will have the advantage of playing at home and with the majority of the 60,000+ crowd roaring them on.
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Let’s’ now take a closer look at both the key finals, starting with the first game in the early hours on Sunday as the two giants of South America clash in a very rare Copa America final between the two.
Copa America Final
Brazil v Argentina
- Venue: Maracana
- Kick Off: 1am UK Time
Copa America History of Both Teams
Of the two finalists, Argentina have won the competition more times, on 14 occasions,
although their last win was back in 1993. Brazil have won the tournament on nine occasions, although they have won it on five occasions since Argentina’s last victory (1997, 1999, 2004, 2007 and 2019).
In terms of meeting each other in the final, there have been surprisingly few Argentina v Brazil Copa America finals, especially in recent times. Since 1975, they have met twice in the final, Brazil winning on penalties in 2004, and then winning 3-0 in 2007.
In the era when the tournament was the South American Championships and fewer teams participated, the teams met in the final in 1919, 1921, 1925, 1937, 1945, 1946, 1957 and 1959. Argentina were the victors on all eight of those occasions.
Brazil’s Copa America 2021
Brazil made light work of their progress through the group stage, winning group B. They won three of their four games, beating Peru 4-0, Venezuela 3-0, Colombia 2-1 before drawing 1-1 with Ecuador in their final game.
Chile were beaten 1-0 in the quarterfinal, despite Brazil playing for almost all the second half with ten men and they then beat Peru 1-0 in a tight semifinal, Lucas Paqueta scoring another vital goal.
Having stepped in as hosts for the second tournament in a row, Brazil have been rewarded with a place in the final and a chance to earn back-to-back Copa America wins.
Key Player – Neymar
With two goals and three assists, Neymar will carry the hopes of a nation on his shoulders into this game. It was his brilliance that set up Paqueta’s winner against Peru and he will need to be at his best against a strong Argentinean defence.
Argentina’s Copa America 2021
Drawn in Group A, Argentina began their Copa America with a 1-1 draw with Chile, but then
followed that up with three wins in a row over Uruguay, Paraguay (both by a 1-0 scoreline) and then with a 4-1 victory over the bottom team in the group Bolivia.
That resounding victory was then followed with a 3-0 victory over Ecuador in the quarterfinal before they faced a resolute Colombia in the semifinal, where they were taken to penalties, but keeper Emilio Martinez of Aston Villa saved three penalties to see his nation through 3-2 in the shootout.
Argentina have not won this tournament since 1993, so the fact that they have reached the final is a big deal back home, especially with their opponents being Brazil.
Key Player – Lionel Messi
The Argentinean genius has been in sensational form in the tournament scoring four goals and setting up a further five for his country. If Argentina are going to win this game in Brazil, then it is likely that Messi will be the key to victory.
Predicted Line Ups
- Brazil – (4-2-3-1) – Ederson, Danilo, Lodi, Silva, Marquinhos, Casemiro, Fred, Everton, Paqueta, Neymar, Richarlison.
- Argentina – (4-3-3) – Martinez.D, Molina, Tagliafico, Otamendi, Pezzella, Rodriguez, De Paul, Lo Celso, Di Maria, Messi, Martinez.L
Copa America Final Tips
This should be a cracker of a game between two of the very best teams in world football, each with their talismanic superstar set to play a defining role in their chances of victory. Who influences the game most out of Neymar or Messi may well decide the outcome of this tie.
Brazil have home advantage and are the holders, so the odds do seem to be in their favour, but something tells me that this is Messi’s tournament and that he will have the final say in this game, although it may have to come in extra time as I feel it will be a 1-1 draw at full time with Argentina taking the win in additional time.
- Full Time Result – Draw – 11/5
- Correct Score – Brazil 1-1 Argentina – 11/2
- Game Decided In Extra Time – Yes – 11/2 (Argentina to win)
Euro 2020 Final
Italy v England
- Venue: Wembley
- Kick Off: 8pm UK Time
Euro 2020 History of Both Teams
Italy have won the European Championship just the once surprisingly, and that win came on
home soil in 1968, when they beat Yugoslavia 2-0 in a replay after the teams drew 1-1 in the first game in Rome.
Since then, they have appeared in two more finals, losing in 2000 to France to a golden goal from David Trezeguet and then they were well beaten 4-0 by Spain in 2012.
England have never won this tournament, their best performance being a 3rd place finish in 1968 and a beaten semi-finalists appearance in 1996. Gareth Southgate’s team have qualified for their first major final since 1966, when incidentally, they won the World Cup on home soil.
Italy’s Euro 2020
Italy were drawn into Group A of Euro 2020 and would play all three matches in Rome. They began the tournament very strongly, winning their opening game 3-0 against Turkey very comfortably and following that up with another 3-0 win over Switzerland to confirm their progress from the group.
Mancini rested a number of key players for their third game in the group, but they still beat Wales 1-0 to finish top of the group with a 100% record and without a goal conceded.
In the Round of 16, Italy struggled to break down Austria, but did so in extra time winning 2-1 and they then followed that victory up with another 2-1 victory against the much-fancied Belgium side in the quarterfinal.
A tough semi-final against Spain followed with the game going to penalties after finishing 1-1 after extra time and Jorginho struck home the decisive penalty to give the Italians a 4-3 win and a place in the final.
Key Player – Marco Verratti
Although he wasn’t fully fit for the start of the tournament, the PSG midfielder has been installed into midfield by Mancini and he tends to play around an hour of the game. His tenacity, break up play and intelligent movement and passing drive the team on and Italy do tend to slacken in pace when he is withdrawn from the game.
England’s Euro 2020
England were drawn into Group D and played all three of their group games at Wembley. They
started with a 1-0 win over Croatia thanks to a Raheem Sterling strike, but then followed a disappointing 0-0 draw with Scotland in their second game.
They clinched top spot in the group and a Round of 16 tie with Germany by beating the Czech Republic 1-0 in their final group game, Sterling once again netting the crucial goal. They then faced their nemesis in Germany with Sterling and Kane scoring two goals in the latter stages of the game to hand England a confidence-boosting 2-0 win.
That meant a trip to Rome to face Ukraine and England overpowered their opponents, winning 4-0 with Kane scoring twice alongside headers from Maguire and Henderson. That earned them a semifinal spot against Denmark where after conceding their first goal of the tournament, an own goal from Simon Kjaer and a Harry Kane penalty in extra time saw England prevail 2-1.
Key Player – Raheem Sterling
The Manchester City winger has been the catalyst of so much of England’s good attacking play and he is a real contender for player of the tournament. Add to that three vital goals and an assist and it obvious that he is going to play a big part for England if they are to unlock this experienced and organised Italian defence.
Predicted Line Ups
- Italy – (4-3-3) – Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson, Barella, Jorginho, Verratti, Chiesa, Immobile, Insigne.
- England – (4-2-3-1) – Pickford, Walker, Shaw, Maguire, Stones, Phillips, Rice, Mount, Saka, Sterling, Kane
Euro 2020 Final Tips
This looks like being a close game between the two best teams in the tournament. Italy have probably played the more consistent football of the two, but England have the huge advantage of being at home, despite playing a country they have beaten just once in the last eight games between the sides (losing four, and drawing three).
In almost every big tournament game between the two, Italy have emerged the winner, but this England team looks different to those in the past and with home advantage roaring them on, I think they may just do enough to land the win.
- Full Time Result – England to win 7/4
- Correct Score – England 2-1 Italy – 12/1
- Anytime Goalscorer – Raheem Sterling (England) – 3/1
