Italy vs England Combined XI: Trippier tops an England dominated team
England’s Euro 2024 qualification campaign gets underway against Italy with the two Euro 2020 finalists facing off in Naples. The combined XI is dominated by England; with just the four Italians included.
Donnarumma gets the nod in goal with a WhoScored rating of 6.94. He has kept 11 clean sheets in Ligue 1 for PSG this season, only Yehvann Diouf has kept more (12).
It is no surprise that Trippier is included in this XI given that he is the highest rated player in the Premier League this season. He is a key contributor to Newcastle’s defensive success and they have conceded the fewest goals in the league (19), but has also been fundamental to their attacking prowess. He is third for most key passes made (18) and successful final third passes (591) of any player in the league.
The first of an Italian centre back pairing, Acerbi makes the team with a rating of 6.81. The 35 year-old is having a good season for Inter who currently sit third in Serie A. He boasts a pass success rate of 89.4% and is averaging 2.9 aerial wins per game.
Romagnoli is also having a great season in Serie A and has been a sturdy part of the Lazio defence who have conceded just 18 goals so far in Serie A and have kept the most clean sheets (16). He is averaging three aerial wins per game in Serie A, and 3.4 clearances.
Luke Shaw had England fans’ hearts racing when he broke the deadlock between these two teams in the final of Euro 2020 in the second minute. This season, he has been one of United’s key players and has a WhoScored rating of 6.91.
Bukayo Saka is having a fantastic season for Arsenal and is proving to be a pivotal part of their title charge. The Englishman has scored 12 goals and registered 10 assists. He has also looked lightning with the ball at his feet and he has made the most successful dribbles in the Premier League this season (46).
With talks of his big summer move getting louder and louder, all eyes are firmly on the 19 year-old and his next move. For now, he’s enjoying life at Borussia Dortmund, who sit top of the Bundesliga and Bellingham has been a key contributor to their success. Only Joshua Kimmich (31) has won possession more times in the attacking third than Jude Bellingham (28) in the Bundesliga this season. He is England’s third highest rated player at 7.46 and is well deserving of his spot in this midfield. No Bundesliga player has been awarded more WhoScored Man of the Matches than Bellingham (6) this season.
James Maddison is one of seven players to receive a WhoScored.com perfect 10 this season after his performance in Leicester’s 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest. He contributed two goals and an assist in that game and made four key passes and three successful dribbles. He is Leicester’s highest rated player in the league this season and makes into the combined XI midfield.
Vincenzo Grifo is the second highest scorer in the Bundesliga this season with twelve goals, only behind Niclas Füllkrug on 15. He has been awarded five man of the matches in the Bundesliga for Freiburg this season, only Jude Bellingham and Randal Kolo Muani have more (6).
Harry Kane leads the line in this squad and is well deserving of his spot thanks to his 21 goals in Premier League this season. Only Erling Haaland has more (28). He is averaging 3.6 shots per game and is the fifth highest player in the league.
Ivan Toney is also in fine-form in front of goal and is averaging a goal every 140 minutes in the Premier League. He has scored 16 goals and sits just behind Kane (21) and Haaland (28) in the race for the golden boot.
