2 Things to watch for in England's European qualifier against Italy 

England will take on Italy in a Group C EURO 2024 qualifier at the Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 17. England are at the top of their group with 13 points from five matches, while Italy are second with 10 from five after their 4-0 win over Malta.

A win over Italy on Tuesday will virtually ensure England’s qualification for the tournament in Germany. However, a loss would put Gareth Southgate's team in a precarious position in their group. The Three Lions will also want to avenge their defeat against the Azzurri in the final of the Euro 2020 at the same venue.

On that note, let us take a look at two things to watch out for in the upcoming match:

#1. England’s mighty attack against Italy’s inexperienced defense:

England have a plethora of exciting attacking players at their disposal. The likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, James Maddison, and Jack Grealish can scare any defense in the world.

Moreover, Italy’s defence is quite inexperienced after the departure of stalwarts Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Alessandro Bastoni and Gianluca Mancini are still relatively inexperienced at the highest level and might find it difficult to deal with England’s attack.

Matteo Darmian and Federico Dimarco, who started as the full-backs for Italy against Malta, are experienced campaigners and will need to be at their best to nullify the threat posed by England's wingers.

#2. The midfield battle:

England are likely to start with a midfield trio of Arsenal's Declan Rice, Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips, and Real Madrid's Bellingham. The latter is in sublime form at the moment and should provide the creative spark that Southgate's teams have often lacked.

However, the Italians are no slouches in midfield with the deep-lying playmaking of Manuel Locatelli, flanked by the experienced Giacomo Bonaventura and the industrious Nicolo Barella.

Barella will have to play box-to-box to keep the pressure on the English defense. His runs into the opposition third will be crucial in finding the breakthrough for Luciano Spalletti's team.

Italy are likely to have the numerical superiority in the middle third with their three-man midfield in their 4-3-3 against England’s 4-2-3-1, as Bellingham will likely be spending more time in the final third. Hence, the role of Barella and Locatelli will be very crucial against The Three Lions.