Euro 2012: 10 Bold Predictions for England vs. Italy

On Sunday, Italy and England will square off in the final Euro 2012 quarterfinal to determine who will face Germany in the semifinals on Thursday.

The match has been eagerly anticipated and looks to be the most competitive of the four quarterfinals in this year's tournament.

As the match approaches, it's time to take out the crystal ball and make some predictions.

Mario Balotelli Will Start Strong

Mario Balotelli is most likely getting the start up front over Antonio Di Natale.

Expect him to have a strong start tomorrow and cause a big threat to the England defense.

England Will Get the Early Opener

Quite against the run of play, England will nick the opener off of a free kick.

It will be a Steven Gerrard cross that will be nodded in—perhaps from John Terry, Joleon Lescott or Wayne Rooney.

England Will Go into the Half with a 1-0 Lead

It will be a tough job holding on to the lead, but England will make it to the half with their 1-0 lead intact.

No thanks to numerous Balotelli and Antonio Cassano chances, though.

Italy Will Equalize Soon into the Half

Italy's incredible midfield finally creates the chance that gets the match back to even.

It's Andrea Pirlo's sublime passing, but the final touch comes from Antonio Cassano's boot.

Theo Walcott Will Dominate the Match

Just like against Sweden, Theo Walcott plays great football for a great chunk of time.

After the Italy goal, he takes over the match and almost creates England's go-ahead goal on multiple occasions.

Wayne Rooney Will Miss a Few Grand Chances

Poor ol' Wayne Rooney and his new hair will be a big reason England don't score in this period of play.

He will get a few great chances fed to him from Theo Walcott, but will be unable to put any of them away.

Italy Will Have a Defender Sent Off

Leonardo Bonucci, the young replacement for Giorgio Chiellini, will get sent off right around 70 minutes for Italy.

It won't be a blatant foul that sees him off, but an unfortunate combination of fouls.

In the end, two yellows has him seeing red at one of the worst possible times for his nation.

England Will Come Forward in Attack

For a rare time in this tournament, England will see a chance for victory and pour men forward toward it.

Soon, the match will be greatly in favor of the English, who have a semifinal berth firmly in their grasp.

Don't be surprised if Jermain Defoe makes a cameo appearance.

Italy Will Hold Their Ground

It will be an incredible performance by the likes of Daniele De Rossi and Co. as they somehow keep the ball from their net.

Expect a few great saves from Gianluigi Buffon sprinkled in there.

Italy Will Win on the Counterattack

Substitute Antonio Di Natale gets the winner for the Azzurri on a great counterattack fueled by a great transition ball from Andrea Pirlo. 

With the score at 2-1, England won't have enough time to get another goal.

It will be the most bitter of defeats for England, who will feel that the match was theirs for the taking. Ironically, they will have deviated from their defensive mindset too much and left themselves too open in the back.

Italy move on to face the Germans in a semifinal to remember. 

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