After three hilarious one-sided quarterfinals, we should be getting closer to a real contest as Roy Hodgson's England take on Italy, who managed to edge Croatia for the runners-up spot in Group C. England are unchanged from their 1-0 win over hosts Ukraine, while Italy are playing Riccardo Montolivo in place of the injured Thiago Motta, which should make for a more creative, if less defensively solid, central midfield.
England Vs. Italy, Euro 2012: Lineups
The lineups essentially mean that England will be attacking down the flanks while Italy dominate the centre and, presumably, possession. This is not a surprise. It’s an open question as to whose system will work better, though. Less than an hour until kickoff now ...
England starting lineup (4-4-1-1): Joe Hart; Ashley Cole, Joleon Lescott, John Terry, Glen Johnson; Ashley Young, Steven Gerrard, Scott Parker, James Milner; Wayne Rooney; Danny Welbeck.
Italy starting lineup (4-3-1-2): Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli, Federico Balzaretti, Leonardo Bonucci, Ignazio Abate; Daneil de Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio; Ricardo Montolivo; Antonio Cassano, Mario Balotelli.
We’ll have live coverage in our England vs. Italy, Euro 2012 quarterfinals StoryStream. For more on Euro 2012 and the entire world of football, follow @SBNationSoccer on Twitter.
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