England host Italy at Wembley Stadium in the qualification stage for Euro 2024. The home side have the opportunity to secure qualification for the tournament, and all but confirm top spot in Group C, whilst Italy can go joint top with the Three Lions should they grab all three points. This is our England predicted lineup.
England Predicted Lineup vs Italy In Crucial Euro Qualifier
Commitment levels: 💯@PhilFoden 😅👏 pic.twitter.com/YTWBl7J6uo
— England (@England) October 17, 2023
How England Have Lined Up Recently
In England’s last match, they scraped past Australia with a 1-0 win at home. The performance was far from convincing against a side ranked 27th in the world, and the starting lineup was heavily rotated. We expect Gareth Southgate to change the lineup quite drastically.
Players like Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins were granted starts thanks to their excellent form in the Premier League this season; Bowen has five goals and an assist, whilst Watkins has four goals and four assists.
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However, these internationally inexperienced players will likely be replaced with Southgate’s favourites for a match that is far more important than an international friendly. Sam Johnstone, Connor Gallagher, Bowen and Watkins could all be dropped for more experienced England regulars: Jordan Pickford, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane,
England’s Recent Tactics and Form
A lacklustre attacking performance may lead Southgate to tactical change. England played a flat 4-3-3 against Australia and lacked any offensive fluidity.
The game also saw the absence of Real Madrid’s star boy: Jude Bellingham. Bellingham has been playing as a number 10 for the Spanish giants and has scored ten goals in ten games.
Expect England to line up in a 4-2-3-1 against Italy, with Bellingham as an attacking midfielder, giving the team more of a progressive carrier.
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To accommodate this, a double pivot will likely be played. Arsenal’s midfield warrior, Declan Rice, should find himself starting. The second defensive midfielder can be picked between Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips, but we predict Henderson to be benched after he was booed by the Wembley crowd last match.
The other alternative is to play Trent Alexander-Arnold in the midfield; Southgate has experimented with the right-back in midfield, and Arnold now wears the number 8 for England. However, after a full 90 minutes against Australia, he should be benched. Phillips seems the likely pick, despite playing very limited minutes this season.
England Injuries to Consider
Bukayo Saka remains injured and away from the England camp, leaving the squad quite barren of right-wingers.
Almost all of England’s wingers prefer to play on the left-hand side: Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and James Maddison all rarely play on the right. The only natural right-winger in the squad is Bowen, who played a mediocre 90 minutes against Australia.
It seems likely that Southgate will select one of the four left-wingers to play on the opposite flank against Italy.
England Predicted Lineup
England are likely to use a 4-2-3-1 formation:
GK: Jordan Pickford
LB: Kieran Trippier
CB: Harry Maguire
CB: John Stones
RB: Kyle Walker
LDM: Declan Rice
RDM: Kalvin Phillips
LW: Marcus Rashford
AM: Jude Bellingham
RW: Phil Foden
ST: Harry Kane
