All set for Italian job

Skipper Harry Kane (right) trains with England teammates on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images

England captain Harry Kane expects Sunday's Euro 2020 final against Italy to go down to the wire because the teams are so evenly matched.

England and Italy head into the Wembley showdown as the tournament's two stand-out sides. Four-time world champions Italy, who last won the Euro in 1968, made a flying start as they tore through their group before battling past Austria, Belgium and Spain to reach the final.

England initially found it harder to hit top gear as they scored just twice while winning their group, but Gareth Southgate's men were dominant in knockout stage victories against Germany, Ukraine and Denmark.

Kane believes either team would be fitting champions, but he is confident England have enough quality to win the European Championship for the first time.

A 50-50 game: Kane

"It's a real 50-50 game I think. Of course Italy have a better history than us in terms of winning tournaments, but a lot of us in our team now have had experience at club level of playing in the biggest games, the biggest finals," Kane told reporters on Friday.

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"It's a real tough game. From our point of view we have full belief in what we have been doing and how we have been setting up, and of course
we believe we can win the game.

"But we also know it will be very tough. They've got some great players, some great experience."

Asked if he had allowed himself to imagine lifting the trophy at Wembley in front of 60,000 England fans, Kane said: "For sure, as players you think of that moment, you dream of that moment.

It's gonna be tough

"Obviously we're all grounded enough to know we have a very tough game on our hands on Sunday. But there's a good belief in this team. You play football to win, you dream of these moments as a kid, lifting trophies for your country and we have that opportunity now."

Four
No. of goals scored by Harry Kane in Euro this year

13
Consecutive number of matches won by Italy across all competitions

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