England pose a greater attacking threat than Italy, proclaims Antonio Conte

Having spent two years in charge of the Italian national side as well, Conte believes he has identified an area of the pitch his former players can exploit on Sunday. Relying on the speed pace, dribbles and trickery of wide players like Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho, Conte believes that England could cause serious problems for Italy. Furthermore, Conte also added that Italy need to use their experience against a tough English side especially given their aggressive pressing style.

“Unlike Spain, who tended to pass it backwards, England always tries to hit you in one-on-one situations. Dribbling, cutting inside and overlaps. there’s not only Sterling but also Saka, Foden, Sancho, Grealish. And then of course Harry Kane. Many praise his ability to go get the ball and link up with the team, as with the equaliser against Denmark. Of course, he is very good at that, but it is in the middle of the penalty area that he is very strong, a sniper, and I would always keep him there as a manager because he can be devastating,” Conte said, reported by Goal.

"But if you go after them with ultra-offensive pressing and they do escape, then watch out for their pace upfront. Again, this is when the Italy players must show their experience at reading the various moments of the game," he added.