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England and Italy are the last two teams standing at Euro 2020. Both finalists needed to survive extra time in their semi-finals to book their place in the title match.
Italy took the lead against their friendly neighbors Spain at the hour mark and looked on course for a narrow win only for La Roja to restore parity ten minutes from time. With no more goals in the remainder of the game, a penalty shootout ensued to separate the two teams. The Azzurri missed their first spot-kick but recovered to convert their next four and seal a tense 4-2 shootout victory to reach their fourth European Championship final.
Meanwhile, England became the first team in European Championship history to start their campaign with five successive clean sheets. That run came to an end against Denmark, though, when Mikkel Damsgaard bulged the English net with a sumptuous free-kick beyond the outstretched Jordan Pickford. Undeterred by the setback, the Three Lions provided a swift riposte and scored another in extra time to reach their first major final in 55 years and their first at the Euros.
Euro 2020 has got the final it deserved, as both England and Italy have arguably been the two best teams in the tournament. The Three Lions and the Azzurri are no strangers on the big stage, though, having locked horns against each other in eight previous competitive meetings, including twice in the last decade.
Ahead of Sunday's blockbuster Euro 2020 finale, let's have a look at what happened in the last five competitive meetings between England and Italy.
Spoiler Alert: England are winless against Italy in their last five competitive games.
#5 1990 FIFA World Cup Third-Place Playoff (Bari) - Italy 2:1 England
In a game neither team wanted to play in, hosts Italy beat England 2-1 in Bari to finish third at the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
That was because in the semi-finals, both teams endured heartbreaking 3-4 penalty shootout losses, with Italy falling to Argentina in Napoli and England failing to get the better of West Germany in Torino.
Coming to the third-place playoff game, Italy took the lead when Roberto Baggio beat the England keeper Peter Shilton in the 71st minute. David Platt helped restore parity for the Three Lions nine minutes from time, only for Toto Schillaci to grab the winner for Italy in the 85th minute.
#4 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (London) - England 0:1 Italy
Italy beat England by a solitary goal at the Wembley in London in a key qualifying game for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola scored the only goal of the game after putting the finishing touches on an Italian counterattack in the ninth minute.
England asked stern questions of the Italian defence, but the Azzurri hung on for the win to hand Three Lions manager Glenn Hoddle his first loss.
The two teams would renew acquaintances again later in the year, with both Italy and England making it to the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
#3 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (Rome) - Italy 0:0 England
England headed to Rome for their final qualifying game for the 1998 FIFA World Cup needing a point, while Italy required a win to qualify for the quadrennial tournament.
In a scrappy, ill-tempered and overly physical game in the Italian capital, the Three Lions managed to keep Italy at bay to confirm top place in the group. The Azzurri, who finished second, needed a win over Russia in the playoffs to qualify for the tournament.
In one of the most enduring images of the night, a heavily bandaged Paul Ince celebrated as if England won the game as the Three Lions bagged the point they needed to qualify for France' 98. Earlier in the match, Ince was left with a bloodied forehead after going for an aerial challenge with Demetrio Albertini.
Nevertheless, both teams had chances to win the game. Ian Wright hit the woodwork for England, while Italy, despite getting reduced to ten men, thought they grabbed a late winner only for Christian Vieri to head narrowly over. The result meant Italy's run of 15 consecutive home wins came to an end.
Although England failed to win in the Italian capital for the first time since 1961, the Three Lions ended the night happier of the two sides.
#2 Euro 2012 Quarter-final (Kyiv) - Italy 0(4): 0(2) England on penalties
Despite being the superior team on the day, Italy failed to pierce a determined England rearguard as the UEFA Euro 2012 quarter-final between the two teams in Kyiv went to a penalty shootout.
Danielle de Rossi struck the woodwork as a dogged English defense kept Italy at bay. Substitute Antonio Nocerino thought he had won the game for Italy only for his effort to be ruled out for offside, while Wayne Rooney went close at the other end with an overhead kick. With neither team scoring in regulation or extra time, a penalty shootout ensued.
Mario Balotelli opened the scoring for Italy in the shootout, with Steven Gerrard responding for England. After Ricardo Montolivo missed for Italy, Wayne Rooney put the Three Lions into the lead. But Andrea Pirlo responded with an audacious Panenka penalty, and Ashley Young smashed his effort against the bar.
Nocerino beat Joe Hart for the second time on the day to put Italy in the lead before Ashley Cole's feeble effort was comfortably saved by Gianluigi Buffon. Alessandro Diamanti then stepped up to send Italy into a quarter-final with Germany, while England suffered their fifth defeat in six penalty shootouts at major tournaments.
Italy went on to beat Germany 2-0 in the semi-final but suffered a chastening 4-0 defeat against a rampant Spain in the final.
#1 2014 FIFA World Cup Group Stage (Manaus) - Italy 2:1 England
The most recent competitive meeting between England and Italy happened at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
In the first game of the tournament for both teams, Italy drew first blood in Manaus when Andrea Pirlo set up Claudio Marchisio to slot the ball past Joe Hart in a crowded English box.
England's response was swift. Raheem Sterling pierced the Italian defense to play in Rooney, whose cross was met by Daniel Sturridge as the two teams went into the break all square.
Only five minutes into the second half, Mario Balotelli nodded home Candreva's cross to restore Italy's lead. With both teams struggling in the oppressive heat and humidity, England created opportunities aplenty but failed to muster an equalizer.
Pirlo struck the woodwork with a sumptuous free-kick that could have rubber-stamped Italy's win, but the Azzurri hung on for a deserved win. The Three Lions, meanwhile, endured a loss in their first game at a World Cup for the first time in almost three decades.
However, both Italy and England exited the tournament at the group stage. Against Uruguay in their next game, Roy Hodgson's men once again ended up on the wrong side of a 2-1 scoreline to get eliminated.
Meanwhile, Italy stumbled to a 1-0 loss against surprise table-toppers Costa Rica. Needing a win in their final game against Uruguay to advance, Andrea Pirlo and co endured another 1-0 defeat to go out of the tournament.
